The DC Universe just got a new addition to the small screen with HBO’s Lanterns. Starring Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) as veteran space cop Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge) as new recruit John Stewart, the series reimagines the iconic comic book lore through the lens of a terrestrial detective mystery set in the heart of Nebraska.
Critics have praised the performances of the cast, with The LA Times attributing the success of the show in part to “two commanding lead actors that knock their roles out of the stadium.” The A.V. Club wrote that it is “the simmering conflict between Hal and John that truly powers Lanterns.”
Casting Networks had a chance to attend the press conference for the show, where the conversation centered on the lived-in dynamic between its two leads, the necessity of mutual trust when taking creative risks, and why vulnerability trumps pure genre tropes.
Key Insights
- Chandler and Pierre credit their on-set chemistry to deliberately building trust early, which gave them room to take risks and “fail forward” during a six-month shoot.
- Both actors say improvisation and unpredictability on camera only became possible once that foundation of safety was established.
- Pierre emphasizes that even with extensive research into a legacy character like John Stewart, authenticity requires bringing personal truth to the role rather than just replicating the source material.
Creating Psychological Safety To “Fail Forward”
For actors stepping into high-profile roles, building rapport with a scene partner is vital. Chandler and Pierre explained that establishing trust allowed them to take creative risks and discover their characters in real time.
“The first thing we did was to get to know each other on the set and to get to know all the other people on the set,” Chandler shared. “And along with [director] James Hawes and Chris behind the monitor, working the cameras and sharing with us what they wanted, it became obvious really quickly that there was going to be a very cool collaborative process.”
Chandler said that process immediately freed up the actors on set, allowing them to “make mistakes and to find our way,” which for the two leads involved creating a reluctant mentor/mentee dynamic while their characters investigated a case in the heartland. There was also the nuance of the characters themselves. Chandler explained how, in the midst of this, Hal is realizing that at his not-so-young age, John has also become a competitor who will at some point replace Hal in his job.
“We started playing back and forth [with those dynamics], and the rest of it fell into place,” Chandler continued. “They fell in place because of the work we all did together, and that freedom of just doing what we’re doing, and enjoying what we’re doing.”
Pierre agreed, emphasizing that establishing mutual trust on set is what allows actors to take bold creative risks and stay spontaneous in every take.
“The first thing that we wanted to establish was … a safety within our partnership and dynamic,” said Pierre. “That extended way beyond us as well … because once safety is established, then you feel an ease, and you feel at liberty to explore, try things, and eventually you’re going to get to the greatest place it can be because you feel free enough to get it wrong and fall forward. Kyle and I did a lot of falling forward.”
That foundation also gave both actors room to keep their performances unpredictable throughout a demanding production schedule. During the six-month-long shoot, both actors found themselves improvising and trying new things.
“We like to surprise each other, and they permitted us freedom and liberty to do that,” Pierre said. “That’s where some of the most beautiful moments are derived from, that feeling of safety and freedom.”
Bringing Lived Experience to Classic Archetypes
For Chandler, playing a veteran hero nearing the end of his run offered a chance to bring authenticity, humor and depth that can only come with age.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Chandler said regarding aging up the superhero role. “When I got this, I was like, ‘Oh wow, really? I’m going to be a superhero? Me?’”
But very quickly, he saw the upside that his 60-year-old self could bring to the role.
“It was a great advantage, because there are things with your older years that you get to [use] in a project like this. There are things you know that no one else is going to know. So that’s a lot of fun. There’s a lot of humor in getting older, and there’s a lot of humor in this show.”
Balancing Cultural Impact With Internal Truth
Portraying John Stewart required Pierre to look past surface-level traits and find personal, emotional anchors.
“I did an immense amount of personal research before portraying John Stewart, but there is a point with every character that you portray that you have to then bring a level of yourself and your truth to the portrayal,” Pierre said. “Otherwise, it’s not authentic, and there is no opportunity for audiences to resonate with you because you are simply copying and pasting.”
The character of John Stewart made comic book history when he debuted in 1971 as DC Comics’ first Black superhero. This marks the first time the role has been brought to life in a live-action series, and Pierre is acutely aware of the character’s legacy and what it means for Black culture.
“He is somebody who allows us to feel seen,” said Pierre of the cultural implications. “He is somebody who allows us to feel heard, understood, comprehended and respected, and it’s an immense privilege and joy to have been given the opportunity to portray him in the first live-action version. The enormity of that gift is not lost on me.”
For Pierre, tapping into Stewart meant building a distinct contrast between the character’s disciplined exterior and his turbulent inner world.
“Externally, he’s a gentleman, he’s precise, he’s accurate, he’s intentional, he’s clean,” observed Pierre. “But internally, he’s a raging sea, he’s a tornado, he’s a volcano. I’ve had my fair share of learning to master my sober mind and learning to navigate my experiences as somebody who does feel things very heavily and deeply. I feel very seen by John, and I’m ready to [play this character] till the wheels fall off, to be honest with you.”
Pierre’s readiness to inhabit Stewart is matched by the enthusiasm of his fellow cast members. Co-star Garret Dillahunt recalled a conversation about Pierre with Lanterns casting director Alexa L. Fogel, who caught Pierre on stage at London’s Old Vic Theatre starring as Randle P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (the role made famous on screen by Jack Nicholson).
“She was so floored,” Dillahunt recounted. “She was like, ‘I’ve never seen him like that, I didn’t know he could do that.’ He was completely different than what you see here [in Lanterns]. I think you’re going to see this face for years to come. I think the Green Lantern was waiting for him.”
