LANTERNS Casting Details Reveal Surprising Plans to Explore Hal Jordan's DCU Past
DC Studios is making some interesting moves with Lanterns, and the latest casting breakdowns are shedding light on what they are looking to do, especially when it comes to Hal Jordan's backstory.
While most fans assumed the spotlight would fall squarely on John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), who will be the DCU’s primary Green Lantern, what caught everyone off guard was the decision to cast a 59-year-old Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and a 54-year-old Guy Gardner.
That choice implies that these characters have lived full lives in this continuity before we even meet them. And now, thanks to a new report from Nexus Point News, it sounds like Lanterns is going to explore that history.
The series has already cast younger and older versions of John Stewart’s parents, as well as a child version of John and his brother, which suggests at least one flashback-heavy episode.
The same treatment is now being given to Hal. The show is currently casting Hal’s parents, Martin and Jessica Jordan, and a child version of Hal himself.
According to the report:
“Martin is described as handsome, confident, charming, but hides a deep sadness. Similar to the comics, he’s a pilot and hero to young Hal, who he has a very close relationship to. The series is also confirmed to depict the death of Martin Jordan and the influence it has on Hal as a child.”
That tragic event has long been a foundational piece of Hal’s character in the comics, and it sounds like the show is leaning into it. The site also adds:
“Jessica is described as being emotionless after the death of her husband and she is being cast for a funeral scene. In addition, a child version of Hal is being cast for multiple scenes. He’s described as defiant, spirited, brave, and a rule breaker who follows in his father’s footsteps.”
It’s not confirmed if we’ll actually see Hal as a young Green Lantern on Oa, but all signs point to both Stewart and Jordan getting well-developed origin arcs in the show.
The presence of younger actors and flashback scenarios opens the door to a deeper character dive than we might’ve expected for a series that was pitched as “True Detective in space.”
There’s still plenty of mystery around where Lanterns is headed. Some fans are already speculating Hal Jordan could be killed off or even take a villainous turn as Parallax in the series, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
Lanterns will follow John Stewart and Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops investigating a murder mystery rooted in Earth. Showrunner Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country) is joined by Watchmen’s Damon Lindelof and comic writer Tom King (Supergirl) on scripting duties.
The cast also includes and Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro, along with Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Nicole Ari Parker, Jason Ritter, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Jasmine Cephas Jones.
Lanterns is currently set to premiere in 2026 on HBO and Max.