The DC Universe has cast another Justice League hero

As James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe begins to get rolling, all sights are indeed on Superman. However, the Man of Steel isn't the only future Justice League member that is on his way to the franchise, as casting is well underway for the HBO and Max original DC series Lanterns, focusing on - you guessed it! - the Green Lanterns.

It was just recently revealed that Kyle Chandler will take on the role of veteran Lantern Hal Jordan in a story that will seemingly see him team with a younger Lantern named John Stewart. That's the name of one of the most recognizable DC heroes, and now we know who will be bringing him to life too.

As revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, actor Aaron Pierre has officially joined the ranks of the DCU as John Stewart, the Green Lantern. The trade touched upon the casting process and how the final decision came down to a screen test with Kyle Chandler, who again has just recently signed on to play Hal Jordan in the latest DC Comics live-action property. 

It was noted that Pierre and Stephan James had participated in screen tests last Thursday and Friday. Each of the actors were given time to grace the frame with Chandler. Each actor’s performance kept things extremely close, but ultimately, the final decision was made today. 

In addition, DC Studios' co-chairman and co-CEO James Gunn took a reprieve from the set of Peacemaker season 2 to chime in and confess his excitement about how Pierre got the coveted role. The filmmaker took to social media and penned in the caption:  “Welcome to DC, @aaron_pierre1. After a long and grueling series of auditions I am absolutely sure we’ve found an incredible John Stewart. #Lanterns” 

Gunn also revealed to a fan via another social media that it was Pierre’s screentest that convinced him he was the right person for the role. 

Other key facts to remember is that Director James Hawes (Slow Horses) has been connected to reports of helming the first two episodes of the new HBO original. Before this, Gunn also assembled a writers room for the series, which is led by Ozark’s Chris Mundy. Mundy is overseeing the eight-episode series as showrunner, along with Damon Lindelof, the creator of HBO’s Watchmen and the seminal TV show Lost, and Eisner Award-winning comics author Tom King, who both serve as executive producers and writers. 

Lanterns is expected to have something of a True Detective vibe to it. Further details offer insight that the series is set to focus on Jordan reluctantly mentoring a younger Lantern, John Stewart, who, in DC publishing history, was one of the company’s first Black superheroes. The story sees the two characters investigating an Earth-bound murder with larger implications. It's not yet clear how it will impact the rest of the stories in Gunn and Safran's DC Universe.

Lanterns has no slated release date as of yet.