Plenty of DC Comics’ live action projects have fallen victim to the chaos surrounding Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC Films. However, the most egregious miss is the fact that we somehow still haven’t gotten a live-action John Stewart project.
For the unfamiliar, John Stewart is a member of the Green Lantern Corps, specially chosen figures who protect the galaxy. He is assigned to Sector 2814, Earth’s location in the galaxy. His powers come from the Lantern ring he wears, which allows him to create constructs to help him fight criminals and stop threats.
Stewart’s origins depict him as either a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, or an architect. It depends on the comic book storyline and what version of the universe it takes place in. Comic books reset timelines a lot, so backgrounds frequently change.
He is considered one of the most honorable and respected superheroes in the DC Universe. He doesn’t wear a mask, because unlike his colleagues, he understands the impact of his face being out in the world. He doesn’t see things as black and white like some of his friends do. He knows exactly how the world works, because he’s not just the Green Lantern...he’s a Black man living in America.
The character made his first appearance in 1971, at a time when Black superheroes weren’t as prevalent as they are today. He was originally introduced as a backup Lantern. Someone who could protect Earth when Hal Jordan wasn’t available. Being seen as secondary to Jordan puts a strain on their relationship at times. Over the years, he’s become one of the company’s most popular heroes and a fan favorite among the Green Lanterns.
His popularity has led fans to relentlessly demand a live-action John Stewart movie or TV series. On the TV side, the character has been sidelined because there was always some Green Lantern movie in development. None of those movies came to fruition, but the studio has still had time to make 147 different Batman movies. We’re not discounting the box office success of the Dark Knight, but DC really hasn’t given enough shine to its Black superheroes or villains. John Stewart is as important to the DC Universe as Black Panther is to Marvel.
Now, it looks like that might finally change, HBO is developing the new drama series “Lanterns.” Per the official logline, the legendary Jordan and “new recruit” Stewart find themselves “Drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”
According to Deadline, Kyle Chandler (“Friday Night Lights”) is in the running to play Hal. Meanwhile, per The Hollywood Reporter, Aaron Pierre (“Mufasa: The Lion King”) and Stephan James (“The PIano Lesson”) lead the shortlist to be John. Either actor would be a great choice, and would likely build a fantastic rapport with Chandler.
We’ve gotten our hopes up before, so we’re cautiously optimistic this time around, but “Lanterns” feels like it’s actually going to happen. That being said, we won’t truly believe it until we see a series premiere on HBO. In the meantime, you can catch up on the entire Green Lantern Corps and John Stewart through the animated series “Justice League” and “Justice League Unlimited,” which are available to stream on Max.