DC Studios' LANTERNS Casts John Stewart’s Father, Teasing Deeper Origins and Family Drama
HBO’s Lanterns continues to take shape with the latest casting news confirming that P-Valley’s J. Alphonse Nicholson has joined the series, and his role has big implications for one of DC’s most iconic heroes.
According to Deadline, Nicholson is playing the younger version of John Senior, the father to Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart. This is a good indication that the series is going to dig into Stewart’s past, likely through flashbacks or extended backstory elements, to examine how his upbringing shaped the man.
In the comics, Stewart’s mother died when he was young, and he was raised in Detroit by his father. That experience helped define his strong sense of justice and duty to community. So bringing in his father as a recurring character feels like a conscious step toward telling a more grounded and emotionally complex origin story.
Nicholson, who earned praise for his performance as Lil’ Murda on P-Valley, has also appeared in Just Mercy, Clipped, and the Broadway revival of A Soldier’s Play.
When previously talking about the series, co-CEO James Gunn said: “It’s so cool because it is connected to Superman. Because we’ve got Guy Gardner in that and then we’ve got these Green Lanterns over here. And it’s just such a different tone from what Superman is.
“It’s exactly what I want to bring to the DCU is being able to have these very different films and television series that are still part of an overall connected world, but have completely different feels to them.”
That “different tone” is key. Lanterns has been described as a gritty, True Detective-style crime drama set in the American heartland, with John Stewart and veteran Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) investigating a murder.
Chris Mundy (Ozark, True Detective: Night Country) is serving as showrunner, with writers Tom King (known for his acclaimed Green Lantern comics) and Damon Lindelof (Watchmen) helping shape the series. And when talking about the quality of the scripts, cast member Poorna Jagannathan had this to say:
“This is the first script that I’ve read that I understand why there’s an NDA. Everything is so insane. It is the best writing that I have ever read.”
Beyond Stewart’s family story, the show is fleshing out a full ensemble. Kelly MacDonald will play Sheriff Kerry, a small-town cop drawn into the Lanterns’ investigation. Garrett Dillahunt plays William Macon, a conspiracy-minded and dangerously ambitious character who may be a new take on the villain Black Hand.
Jason Ritter joins as his son, Billy Macon, adding generational tension to the mix. And Ulrich Thomsen takes on the heavy role of Sinestro, a character whose fall from hero to villain has always been one of the DC Universe’s most powerful arcs.
Lanterns is set to premiere on HBO and Max in 2026.