When you find something good, it makes sense to build on it.
James Gunn’s DC Universe is still in its relative infancy. Creature Commandos and the second season of Peacemaker found their audience, while Superman was widely praised. Supergirl proved a little more divisive earlier this summer, leaving the fledgling franchise searching for another big success.
Then came Lanterns.
The True Detective-inspired take on DC’s famous space cops made the inspired decision to pair Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart respectively, and the results have been superb. The series is strong in its own right, but it’s elevated by two brilliantly cast leads whose contrasting personalities play perfectly off one another.
Much of the first season’s mystery revolves around John investigating what appears to be Hal’s death, revealed at the end of the opening episode in the show’s 2026 timeline. While there’s every chance that proves to be a fake-out, it certainly feels as though Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart is set to become the central Green Lantern moving forwards. (Nathan Fillion‘s Guy Gardner also remains very much part of the picture.)
‘It’s basically John Stewart’s story, in a lot of ways,’ Gunn told CBS News last year, reinforcing what many fans already suspected.
What to read next
It certainly helps that Aaron Pierre has emerged as one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising stars. It would make perfect sense for DC to make the most of him.
When Will John Stewart Appear Next?
While we don’t yet know whether Lanterns will return for a second season, we do know we’ll be seeing Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart again within the next year.
He was officially cast in Man of Tomorrow, the sequel to Superman, back in March.
Exactly how big a role he’ll play remains under wraps. He could appear briefly or have a major supporting role. In that respect, he’s in a similar position to Adria Arjona, who has been cast in an undisclosed role, and Xolo Maridueña, who returns as Blue Beetle. All three are confirmed to appear, but the extent of their involvement remains anyone’s guess.
What Could John Stewart Do Next?
While we don’t know much about where John Stewart’s story goes beyond Man of Tomorrow, it’s fun to speculate about how DC could best use both Pierre and the character.
Pierre and Chandler have such brilliant chemistry together that it’s difficult not to want to see more of them sharing the screen. But if Hal really is dead – and if Chandler’s time in the DC Universe ends with this season of Lanterns – there are plenty of other directions the franchise could explore.
One obvious option would be pairing Pierre’s Stewart with Fillion’s Guy Gardner in a Green Lantern film of their own.
Gunn has already shown a willingness to bring distinctive filmmakers with unique creative visions into the DC Universe. After the True Detective-inspired tone of Lanterns, there are several directors who could take Green Lantern somewhere completely different.
Bart Layton: A Heat-style crime thriller would be a fascinating direction for a Green Lantern film. Michael Mann is unlikely to swap Heat 2 for a superhero movie, but Layton’s Crime 101 proved he can deliver a similarly stylish crime drama.
Rose Glass: Glass’s Love Lies Bleeding showed exactly the kind of bold, offbeat filmmaking that could bring something genuinely fresh to Green Lantern. Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian were both outstanding, and it’s easy to imagine Aaron Pierre thriving under her direction.
Jeremy Saulnier: The director of Green Room and the upcoming Slayground has already worked with Aaron Pierre on Rebel Ridge. His gritty, grounded style could be an exciting evolution for the franchise.
JT Mollner: After Strange Darling and The Long Walk, Mollner has established himself as an exciting voice in thriller cinema. He could bring a Tarantino-esque crime-thriller energy to a future Green Lantern film.
M. Night Shyamalan: Shyamalan may have little interest in returning to franchise filmmaking after The Last Airbender, but he’d undoubtedly have a distinctive take on the material. He also directed Aaron Pierre in Old, making a reunion an intriguing prospect.
Evan is the culture editor for Men’s Health, with bylines in The New York Times, MTV News, Brooklyn Magazine, and VICE. He loves weird movies, watches too much TV, and listens to music more often than he doesn’t.
