‘Lanterns’: Aaron Pierre and Stephan James in Talks to Play John Stewart!!

Business in the DC universe is picking up as Deadline is reporting that The Underground Railroad star, Aaron Pierre and Stephan James (Homecoming) have emerged as the leaders in the race to join Kyle Chandler in HBO’s highly anticipated series Lanterns, based on the DC comic Green Lantern. Deadline notes that sources have said the pair of actors are currently in negotiations over stepping into the shoes of John Stewart in the series, alongside Chandler‘s Hal Jordan, although it’s been specified that no official offers have yet been made to either star, and HBO refused to comment. Of the two, Pierre has previous DC experience, having played Dev-Em in Syfy’s Superman series Krypton.

The series, which has been jointly created by Chris Mundy (Ozark), Damon Lindelof (Watchmen), and comic writer Tom King, follows John Stewart, a new recruit, and Lantern legend Hal Jordan. When paired, the duo are given the job of investigating a strange and dark mystery that’s taking place in the heartlands of America. The series will take place over eight episodes, and is produced by HBO in collaboration with Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios, with Mundy serving as showrunner.“John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman,” DC Studios co-chairmen and co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran said at the time of the series announcement.

Where Do I Know Aaron Pierre and Stephan James From?

Pierre was cast last year in Marvel‘s long-gestating, and seemingly ill-fated Blade before leaving the project due to the numerous delays associated with production. He recently took on the role of Malcolm X in Nat Geo’s Genius: MLK/X, and his next role will be the voice of the young titular character in the Lion King prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King, which opens in theaters this winter. He also recently appeared in Netflix‘s Rebel Ridge.

James is a Golden Globe nominee for Homecoming, and also received an Emmy nomination for his role on #FreeRayshawn. He’s just wrapped a starring role in Beacon 23, and will next be seen in the feature film The Piano Lesson. He’s currently filming the action thriller War Machine alongside Reacher star Alan Ritchson. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on the progress of Lanterns, and the next stage of development in the new and improved DC Universe.