Nathan Fillion Playing Guy Gardner in ‘Lanterns’

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Preview:

Nathan Fillion will appear in HBO/DC series ‘Lanterns.’
This new series adapts the ‘Green Lantern’ DC Comics in grounded fashion.
The show stars Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler.

While the mantra all through the development phase for the new HBO/DC Studios series ‘Lanterns’ –– which adapts the Green Lantern comic books –– has been a grounded take on the powerful superheroes, it would seem it’s not above a slightly more colorful character (pun intended).

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New recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops, are drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American… Read the Plot

And it’s also crossing over with another project in James Gunn’s ever-expanding superhero universe, the one that Warner Bros. is hoping will make its comic book-birthed movie slate work –– ‘Superman.’

No, we’re not likely to see David Corenswet’s Man of Steel touch down during the show, but Nathan Fillion will show up.

Fillion, in case you hadn’t heard, will be playing Guy Gardner, a fellow Lantern to Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart, in ‘Superman,’ which flies into theaters on July 11th.

(Center) James Gunn and the cast of ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.

According to Deadline, the idea of Fillion has been under consider

Our eyebrows, we must admit, are raised, because the look of Fillion’s character in the movie doesn’t necessarily line up with the more down-to-Earth look of the show so far (we got our first glimpse of that recently). His is a more comical appearance, with a savage bowl cut and an arrogant attitude.

Yet we haven’t seen him in action yet, so who knows exactly how he’ll work on the small screen. And if we’re honest, it’s always entertaining to see Fillion show up.

What’s the story of ‘Green Lantern’ in comics form?

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps from DC Comics. Photo: DC Comics.

Created in its first incarnation (a Lantern named Alan Scott) in 1940 by Martin Nodell and Bill Finger, the concept of the ‘Green Lantern’ comics is that of a super-powered, police force, battling evil doers with rings that allow them to channel energy into different forms. There are many Lanterns, who patrol the known and unknown universe.

‘Green Lantern’s history on screen has been seriously mixed. Though different takes on the character have flourished in animated movies and series, their live-action counterparts have had less luck. Ryan Reynolds played the Hal Jordan version in a 2011 movie that didn’t triumph at the box office, and there have been fleeting glimpses on the small screen.

Even Zack Snyder didn’t manage to realize his chosen Lantern –– John Stewart –– in his mammoth Snyder Cut of ‘Justice League’. Despite shooting a cameo with Wayne T. Carr as Stewart, Warners asked him to remove the character because of the studio’s own plans. In the end, Snyder swapped in Martian Manhunter.

And the show had been in development before Gunn and Safran made their big DC Studios announcement. Back in 2020, ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Seth Grahame-Smith hopped aboard to write and run what HBO Max (as the streaming service was then called) was picturing its most expensive series to date, a space-set ‘Green Lantern’ drama whose focus would be the Alan Scott and Guy Gardner iterations of the character among the first and most popular versions.

(L to R) Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in ‘Lanterns’. Photo: John P. Johnson/HBO.

‘Lanterns’ will follow the Hal Jordan (Chandler) and John Stewart (Pierre) characters, as new recruit Stewart and Lantern legend Jordan are described in the latest official synopsis as “two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”

So, think ‘True Detective’ meets ‘Green Lantern’…

Here’s Chris Mundy, executive producer and showrunner on the tone for the show:

“From the start, our driving force has been to deliver a layered drama –– rooted in nuanced storytelling and rich world building –– that balances tension and mystery with honest, authentic emotion. The goal is to create something that feels timeless and grounded without sacrificing the magic of the source material.”

But there will be some powerful antagonism involved, as Ulrich Thomsen is playing Sinestro a former Green Lantern who turned rogue and is described as ruthless yet charming.

His manipulative nature drives his enduring obsession with his former mentee, Hal Jordan. The character was created by John Broome and Gil Kane and first appeared in the comic book “Green Lantern, Volume 2, #56” released in 1961.

Who else is in ‘Lanterns’?

Garret Dillahunt in ‘Red Right Hand,’ a Magnolia Pictures release. © Red Right Hand Productions LLC, Steve Squall. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

The cast also includes ‘No Country for Old Man’s Kelly Macdonald, ’12 Years a Slave’ actor Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan (who appeared in (‘The Night Of’), Jason Ritter and the aforementioned Thomsen.

In breaking news, Deadline brings word that Chris Coy is also part of the ensemble.

In a guest starring role, Coy will be the new character of ‘Waylon Sanders,’ an intelligent survivor… or a nervous truck driver. Age and real name unknown, he’s unbound by the laws of nature.

Who is working on ‘Lanterns’?

James Gunn at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.

Mundy, whose resume includes stints on Netflix’s ‘Ozark’ and HBO’s ‘True Detective: Night Country’, is running the new series, working alongside ‘Watchmen’s Damon Lindelof and DC comics writer Tom King (whose ‘Supergirl’ comic is the basis for the new movie featuring the character).

And James Hawes, who has worked on series including ‘Black Mirror’ ‘Snowpiercer’ and Season 1 of ‘Slow Horses,’ will direct the first two episodes.

He’s not alone –– ‘Watchmen’ veteran Stephen Williams, ‘Under the Bridge’s Geeta Vasant Patel, and former ‘Ozark’ director Alik Sakharov are also handling episodes.

Since they oversee the whole DC Studios arm, filmmaker Gunn and producer Peter Safran are executive producers alongside Ron Schmidt.

Where else have we seen Nathan Fillion?

Nathan Fillion in ‘Castle’. Photo: ABC.

Where haven’t we! Aside from his regular gig on ABC series ‘The Rookie’ and his previous long-running show ‘Castle,’ he’s a genre favourite who has cropped up in a variety of shows and movies.

Notable titles include ‘Firefly’ and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer.’ He’s also a longtime collaborator of Gunn, and appeared in the likes of his ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movies (especially the third) and ‘The Suicide Squad,’ and before that ‘Slither’ and ‘Super.’

He also has Lantern form: he first voiced Hal Jordan in ‘Green Lantern: Emerald Knights’ (2011) and again a year later in ‘Justice League: Doom,’ followed by ‘Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox’ in 2013, ‘Justice League: Throne of Atlantis’ (2015) ‘The Death of Superman’ in 2018 and ‘Reign of the Supermen‘ in 2019.