Meet the Lanterns Cast and the Characters They’re Playing in HBO’s DC Show

Aaron Pierre is taking on the lead role of John Stewart, a new recruit who becomes a Green Lantern. John is a former Marine who joins the Green Lantern Corps and is assigned to work under Hal Jordan. To prepare for the role, Pierre said he did “extensive research.” He told Entertainment Weekly, “But something that’s really important to me, in addition, [was] this character within myself,” before adding, “I cross my Is, I dot my Ts, I leave no stone unturned. I do all my due diligence.” Fans may recognize the British actor from Rebel Ridge, The Underground Railroad, and Brother. He also provided voice work for Mufasa: The Lion King and had a recurring role on The Morning Show.

Kyle Chandler steps into the role of Hal Jordan, a veteran member of the Green Lantern Corps. He reluctantly becomes John Stewart’s mentor, as John is being positioned as his potential replacement. Chandler talked about their partnership in a different EW interview, saying, “Aaron’s got this great way of giving me this look — and he could if he wanted to — like he wanted to break my neck. We were in the car one day and I said something about wisdom, I think. And this was pivotal: Aaron shot back, he goes, ‘Yeah, but you’re old.’ Now I’m good at giving it, but I can take it. When he said that old thing, it was my turn to give him that look. That was a dynamic that we ran with: wisdom versus age.” Chandler is best known for playing Coach Taylor on Friday Night Lights. His other notable credits include The Wolf of Wall Street, The Rip, and Bloodline, among others.

Nathan Fillion returns to reprise his role as Guy Gardner, the arrogant and hotheaded Green Lantern. Fillion first made his DCU debut in Superman before appearing in a cameo role in Peacemaker Season 2. According to Fillion, Gardner is “a little bit higher strung.” During a chat with EW, he said, “If you want to know something about Guy Gardner, know this: He has a bowl cut and he’s into it. What does that tell you about this guy?” Fillion previously starred in the cult-classic sci-fi series Firefly, as well as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Santa Clarita Diet, and Resident Alien. He also appeared in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

The plot of Lanterns follows John Stewart and Hal Jordan as they go to the small rural town of Rushville, Nebraska, to investigate a shooting. There, they meet Sheriff Kerry Kane, played by none other than Kelly Macdonald. Ahead of the show’s debut, Macdonald revealed, “There’s a familiar tension just in terms of jurisdiction. It’s not like F.B.I. and locals. It’s the Lantern Corps. and a local sheriff. That’s our entry into that town and into the mystery.” Macdonald’s credits include Trainspotting, Gosford Park, No Country for Old Men, Boardwalk Empire, and Dept. Q, among others. 

The “modern cowboy” William Macon is brought to life by Garret Dillahunt. In the town of Rushville, Macon is the richest man and has his own private militia. Dillahunt teased some more details about his character in an interview with SYFY Wire. He explained, “It might be a front for some other kind of character that's very familiar to you all. I don't want to rule out the possibility that maybe ‘William Macon’ is just a secret identity that had to be created. It was fun to be able to create him from scratch—at least that facet of the character.” Dillahunt has notable roles in Raising Hope, Deadwood, Fear the Walking Dead, No Country for Old Men, Winter’s Bone, among others.

William’s wife, Zoe, is played by Poorna Jagannathan. The local rancher’s spouse takes a fancy to John Stewart when the intergalactic cop arrives in town. Talk about complicated. Zoe is described as “effortlessly confident and poised in any setting, even those where she stands out. She is every bit as composed and cunning as the influential men around her.” Never Have I Ever, Deli Boys, The Out-Laws, Mile 22, and Wolfs are among the titles Jagannathan has starred in.

With Jason Ritter, we get the complete Macon family as he slips into the role of Billy Macon, the son of William and Zoe. Billy is “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.” Oh, and he’s married to Sheriff Kerry. Before Lanterns, Ritter worked on projects including Happy Endings, The Intervention, Parenthood, and Matlock.

Ulrich Thomsen stars as the bad guy Thaal Sinestro in Lanterns in a recurring role. His official character description reads, “Ruthless yet undeniably charming, Sinestro is a former Green Lantern who turned rogue. Sinestro’s manipulative nature drives his enduring obsession with his former mentee, Hal Jordan.” Fans may recognize Thomsen from The Inheritance, The Commune, The World Is Not Enough, Season of the Witch, Banshee, and The Blacklist.