‘Lanterns’: Ulrich Thomsen Set to Play Sinestro in Upcoming HBO-DCU Series!!

DC‘s Lanterns has officially found its Sinestro. Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen, known for his small-screen appearances in Starz‘s Counterpart and NBC‘s The Blacklist, has been tapped to play the iconic supervillain in the upcoming HBO series according to Deadline. With the recurring role, he’ll be set to go head-to-head with Kyle Chandler‘s Green Lantern legend Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre‘s upstart John Stewart during their investigation into a grim murder in America’s heartland. He adds to an increasingly expanding star-studded cast that also features Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, and Poorna Jagannathan.

Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Sinestro is one of the greatest and most infamous recurring foes of the Green Lantern Corps thanks to his connection with Hal Jordan. A former Lantern gone rogue, he’s largely driven by a burning obsession with his former mentee and friend. He can be ruthless, charming, and dangerously manipulative, spelling serious trouble for the two intergalactic buddy cops at the center of Lanterns. It seems likely he’ll have some direct involvement with the case that Hal and John are investigating, and his presence could shake the entire foundation of the fledgling DCU. Whatever role he plays, Sinestro has a ton of history in comics to pull from dating back to Green Lantern, Volume 2, #56 in 1961 where he made his debut.

Thomsen adds some international firepower to the Lanterns call sheet, bringing a rich resume both stateside and beyond. One of his best-known roles came in Cinemax‘s crime-drama series Banshee, where he played Kai Proctor opposite The Boys star Antony Starr and Hit-Monkey‘s Ivana Milicevic. He also appeared opposite Mads Mikkelsen in the 2005 Danish-language black comedy Adam’s Apples. More recently, his talents have been on display in the critically acclaimed Scandinavian series Trom, and he’s come on board for the next film from controversial Alone in the Dark director Uwe Boll, titled Run. He isn’t entirely unfamiliar to HBO audiences, also boasting a role in 2020’s The New Pope alongside Jude Law and John Malkovich.

When Will ‘Lanterns’ Begin Filming?

Lanterns is currently on the fast track for DC after lingering for some time with the studio. Previous reports have stated filming will begin in early February, as James Gunn tries to nail the Green Lantern show down as the new cinematic universe’s next big live-action series. The series has a murderer’s row of writers at the helm between Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, with Slow Horses alum James Hawes joining the trio as an executive producer and serving as director for the first two episodes. Between the presence of Sinestro and a new True Detective-adjacent premise, it’s shaping up to be an intriguing return to the screen for the Lantern Corps after so many years between their last, disastrous Ryan Reynolds-led affair.