Jason Ritter Offers LANTERNS Update and Teases Comedic Role in DCU Series
Jason Ritter has shed some light on the upcoming Lanterns series, offering a small but intriguing update on where things stand behind the scenes. The Parenthood and Raising Dion actor is set to play Billy Macon in DC Studios’ Green Lantern series, and according to Ritter, filming is already at the halfway point.
In a recent interview with Forbes, Ritter shared:
"We’ve shot four episodes so far and we’re about to start shooting episodes three and four. We’re doing it all a little out of order.
“The story is kind of jumping all around, but it’s been so fun and it’s a really well-written, really fun show. I’m just trying to fit into that world and maybe put a little silliness in there."
Ritter is bringing some comedy into Lanterns, a show that’s otherwise being framed as a gritty, detective-style drama.
His character, Billy Macon, is described as “a good-looking charmer who does his father’s bidding. Capitalizing on his family’s reputation, he clings to his small-town ego and has everything to lose.”
That family might be more important to DC fans than it first appears. There’s some talk in the fan community that the Macons could actually be the infamous Hand family, which is tied to William Hand, a.k.a. Black Hand, the death-obsessed villain who plays a pivotal role in DC’s Blackest Night storyline.
If this speculation pans out, that means Ritter’s Billy or Garret Dillahunt’s William Macon Sr. might be an early version of Black Hand himself.
The show is set to run for eight episodes, and Ritter’s comment confirms that production has hit its midpoint. While it’s still a ways off from airing, the casting and crew are already generating a lot of curiosity.
Lanterns stars Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two iconic Green Lanterns who will lead the show’s investigation into a murder mystery set in the American heartland. Nathan Fillion is confirmed to appear as Guy Gardner, which should be a fun addition.
The series also includes Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro, Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry, Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe, Nicole Ari Parker as John Stewart’s mother Bernadette, and Sherman Augustus as his father John Sr.
The pilot episodes are in the hands of director James Hawes (Doctor Who, Black Mirror, Slow Horses), and he should help set a strong visual tone. As previously described, the series will blend cosmic superhero lore with a darker, more grounded detective narrative.
James Gunn teased the concept back when he rolled out the DCU “Gods and Monsters” slate:
"This is a story of a couple of Green Lanterns John Stewart and Hal Jordan. We have a few other Lanterns peppered in there but this is really a terrestrial based TV show which is almost like True Detective with a couple of Green Lanterns who are space cops watching over Precinct Earth—in it they discover a terrifying mystery that ties into our largest story of the DCU."
Lanterns is currently slated for release on HBO in early 2026, and it’s shaping up to be a very different kind of superhero show.