Rumor: Hal Jordan Will Be Older Mentor Figure To Younger “Hothead” John Stewart In ‘Lanterns’

Beware John Stewart
John Stewart (Aldis Hodge) stands up to Parallax (Nolan North) in Green Lantern: Beware My Power (2022), Warner Bros Animation

Recent rumors might be a bad sign for Lanterns, a DCU serial that DC Studios has yet to finalize any casting for or announce any official plans outside the writer’s room.

Josh Brolin-Jonah Hex
The camera fades on the titular character (Josh Brolin) in Jonah Hex (2010), Warner Bros. Pictures

RELATED: Arrowverse Producer Marc Guggenheim Says The Scrapped Green Lantern TV Series “Was Gonna Be Awesome”

The only thing we can confirm is Josh Brolin passed on the role of Hal Jordan. By the sound of that, it can reported or at least inferred with considerable accuracy that they are looking for a middle-aged actor to play a seasoned Hal.

But that’s not the only thing they are allegedly changing for this show. According to ComicBookCast on YouTube, John Stewart won’t just be Hal’s partner protecting the Sector.

RELATED: Critic and Commentator Mr. H Reviews Calls Out James Gunn’s “Hypocrisy” For Hiring Damon Lindelof As A Head Writer On ‘Lanterns’

Stewart is said to be a young rookie “hothead” of roughly 30 “who doesn’t take crap off anybody” unlike his comic book and animated counterparts. Therefore, he will have Hal as his mentor to coach and rein him in.

CBC calls this “a controversial decision, if true” and compares it to creatives getting their wires crossed about The Flash, for example. Wally West is the wisecracking one so it would be odd to see him as serious as Barry Allen.

Chow down
The alternate Barry (Ezra Miller) is starved by his powers in The Flash (2023), Warner Bros. Pictures

Let’s remember that already happened in the DCEU, but in reverse, with Ezra Miller’s sardonic and immature portrayal of Barry in two cuts of Justice League and a solo movie that flopped.

The Lanterns rumor was originally disseminated by scooper Jeff Sneider (who also said Italian director Luca Guadanigno is being considered for a DCU project, which we will certainly have more to say about if the speculation bears fruit).

Walter (Matthew McConaughey) in Columbia Pictures’ THE DARK TOWER.

RELATED: Matthew McConaughey Calls For Gun Control Laws In White House Press Briefing: “Responsible Gun Owners Are Fed Up With The Second Amendment Being Abused”

Sneider claimed that Brolin, Matthew McConaughey, and Ewan McGregor were up for the role of Hal. Again, Brolin turned it down and the other two either did the same or rotated out of consideration.

New intel comes from X user Apocalyptic Horseman who posits, “Although McConaughey is on the short list, he’s not the next choice. It’s in fact Chris Pine. Also on the list is Timothy Olyphant.”

Screenshot-Scoop-Hal.Lone Pine
Apocalyptic Horseman via X

Pine who played Steve Trevor is a DC film veteran, so he would make a lot of sense – unless he is burned out on superheroes or on the off chance Warner Bros. lost his number. We even fantasy-cast once upon a time.

Olyphant is not a bad choice either since he is known more as a television actor and could have a cheaper asking price than a big-name movie star.

Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) takes a breather after crash landing the U.S.S. Enterprise in Star Trek Beyond (2016), Paramount Pictures
Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) takes a breather after crash landing the U.S.S. Enterprise in Star Trek Beyond (2016), Paramount Pictures

All that aside, if the way John Stewart is written turns out to be too divergent or anathema to his stalwart fans, how old Hal Jordan is and who plays him will be the least to worry about when it comes to Lanterns.

NEXT: 10 Comic Book Movie Actors And The Characters They Should Be Playing

Mentioned In This Article:

More About: