5 Actors Who Could Play John Stewart In James Gunn's Green Lantern TV Series

Green Lantern has had a rough history on film. In 2011, Warner Bros. bet on the hero being their Iron Man; a B-lister underdog who could kick off a blockbuster franchise. "Green Lantern" starring Ryan Reynolds did not fly high so the character was almost completely absent from the DC Extended Universe. (None of the major Green Lanterns show up in either cut of "Justice League.")

Now, James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Studios is again looking to make the Green Lantern Corps an early fixture of their DC Films. Nathan Fillion is playing Guy Gardner in 2025's "Superman" and a "Lanterns" TV series is currently in development at HBO. A "True Detective" style murder mystery, "Lanterns" will star the two most famous comic Green Lanterns: Hal Jordan and John Stewart (not the one from "The Daily Show").

Kyle Chandler has recently been cast as Hal Jordan, so what about John? The show will reportedly feature Hal as an older mentor to the younger John (and the casting of the 59-year-old Chandler supports that), so it'll probably be an actor on the young(er) side. 

Created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams, John Stewart debuted in 1971's "Green Lantern" #87. His appearance was modeled on Sidney Poitier, then one of the biggest Black movie stars in Hollywood. Initially portrayed as an architect, the 2000s "Justice League" cartoon series retconned John (voiced by Phil LaMarr) into a United States Marine. So, the actor should be someone who can play both a stern gentleman (a la Poitier) or an outright tough guy. 

Here are a few actors that /Film thinks could fit the bill.

Aldis Hodge is an authoritative actor, commanding the screen with charisma plus his deep voice and strong looks. (He played former NFL star Jim Brown in "One Night in Miami" and is about to play Alex Cross on Prime Video's "Cross.")

This is probably the easiest pick of the five — Hodge can definitely play John Stewart because he's done it before! He starred as John in the animated film "Green Lantern: Beware My Power" and reprised the part in "Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths." But Hodge is primarily a live-action actor, not a voiceover one, so he'd have no trouble on "Lanterns."

One might counter that he's already played a DC Comics superhero on film: Carter Hall/Hawkman in 2022's "Black Adam." (Read Hodge's interview with /Film about that project here.) But that film has already been forgotten; Gunn's DC Universe may be taking some pieces of the previous one, but definitely not "Black Adam." It also seems like there's no reticence about bringing back previous actors in new parts (It's been rumored that DC Studios may want Jason Momoa to switch from Aquaman to Lobo). 

Jeremy Saulnier's thriller "Rebel Ridge" is one of Netflix's best recent releases. "First Blood" updated for the 2020s (the film's political core is about racist police, not the Vietnam War), "Rebel Ridge" stars former Marine Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre). After some cops steal money he needs to bail his cousin out of jail, Terry enters into a cat-and-mouse game with the local police department. 

Pierre was a replacement for John Boyega, but Saulnier thinks the recasting worked for the best. So do I; the 6'3" Pierre has an imposing physical presence, the kind which fits an action hero soldier, that Boyega doesn't. Weeks after "Rebel Ridge" premiered, there's been a resounding consensus on Pierre: make this man a movie star! One way that sentiment has come out is social media fan-casting Pierre as John Stewart. 

Terry Richmond may not have a green power ring, but like John Stewart, he's a Marine who uses his skills from the Corps (both kinds) to fight injustice. If Pierre could play him, he could play John Stewart.

At the year's end, Aaron Pierre will be starring in the "Lion King" prequel "Mufasa" as the title character (he's got the right voice to imitate the late James Earl Jones), but he's not the only actor in there who I could see as John Stewart.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. is voicing the young Scar in "Mufasa" (before the lion prince becomes lion Claudius). Previously, the two also co-starred on the National Geographic series "Genius" as Dr. Martin Luther King (Harrison) and Malcolm X (Pierre). While the internet is rightfully fawning over Pierre after his breakout in "Rebel Ridge," the Green Lantern costume could look good on Harrison as well.

Harrison has built up a steady acting resume over the past 10 years, primarily for playing Black historical figures (he played another man called King, blues legend B.B. King, in "Elvis"). His most impressive performance, so far, is in "Luce," as an Eritrean war orphan adopted by a rich white couple (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth). Luce appears totally assimilated and on track to success, but his mother discovers he may be hiding some dark secrets and/or radical beliefs. Luce is a mystery box — the film never totally pulls his guard down — but Harrison's job is to deflect suspicion by being so dang likable and charismatic. Superhero-level likable, even.

Hollywood has not done quite right by Trevante Rhodes since his breakout in Barry Jenkins' 2016 coming-of-age drama "Moonlight" (an eventual Best Picture winner). He got one chance at a blockbuster in "The Predator" (but not as the lead) and since then his work has been relatively sparse. Rhodes, who has the talent to be a star carrying bigger projects, has long been a fan-favorite pick to John Stewart.

Now, "Moonlight" is a quiet and romantic film about the short but impactful moments that make up our lives. "Lanterns" will definitely be a genre series, even if it's looking to be more of a down-to-earth detective story than a space opera. Still, Rhodes' performance as the adult Chiron in "Moonlight" suggests he could play the character right. Chiron is a weight-pumping gangster who wears a tough guy mask to shield memories of his fragile childhood self and his homosexuality. I can easily see Rhodes playing a stoic veteran with a heroic spirit, and one who feels a tad out of water involved in the cosmic lore of the Green Lantern Corps.

Hawkins was one of the handful of young Black actors (including the aforementioned Hodge) who broke out starring as the NWA in the 2015 biopic "Straight Outta Compton." Hawkins, who played Dr. Dre, has had one of the more successful runs since. He's been working consistently on some high-ish profile projects on TV, stage, and film (from Joel Coen's "The Tragedy of Macbeth" as Macduff to the 2021 musical "In The Heights").

He has not, at this time, gotten a headlining part in a blockbuster franchise. (Before his breakout, he did have a barely-there part in "Iron Man 3," and later a minor role in 2017's "Kong Skull Island"). If Gunn's DCU is looking for young talent to sustain it, Hawkins would be a strong pick for John Stewart, especially since he has no existing superhero commitments. As one of the young actors who hasn't put on tights yet, the thought of playing a superhero could still hold novelty for him too.

"Lanterns" does not have a scheduled premiere on HBO at this time.