Update: Aaron Pierre has officially been cast as John Stewart in the DCU’s Green Lantern TV show. He was welcomed by James Gunn to the team via social media, which read, “Welcome to the DCU, Aaron Pierre. I couldn’t be happier with our new Green Lantern, John Stewart! #lanterns“.
Fans are buzzing with speculation as they believe Netflix’s latest hit, Rebel Ridge, might have just introduced the DCU’s next John Stewart (Green Lantern): Aaron Pierre. And it’s not a big mystery why. He certainly has the look to pull off the character.
Gods And Monsters
DC Studios currently has multiple projects in preparation, including the Green Lantern series Lanterns, and there might be a vague signal of one potential candidate for the role of John Stewart. Lanterns was announced as part of the DCU’s Chapter One, titled “Gods and Monsters”, with the series to be overseen by Chris Mundy and Damon Lindelof. There have also been casting rumours aplenty, with Josh Brolin said to be in talks for Hal Jordan, only to recently turn the role down.
Hal Jordan, of course, will not be the only Green Lantern to appear on Lanterns, with John Stewart also set to appear on the show. As the two most well-known human Green Lanterns in the DC Universe, it goes without saying that Hal Jordan and John Stewart are intended to be the faces of Lanterns, and there might be some indication of one rising star who could be cast as the latter.
Tom King Recently Followed Aaron Pierre On Instagram
Alongside his regular work in writing for DC Comics, Tom King is also a DC Studios consultant on the planning of the DCU, which puts him on the ground floor of key decisions for the franchise that could extend, at least somewhat, to casting. This is partly why King’s recent following of Aaron Pierre on Instagram has raised some eyebrows.
Actors, writers, filmmakers and producers following (or unfollowing) each other on social media often draw attention when particular projects are in the works, as it could be taken as a signal of impending casting news or at least of talks happening between the relevant parties. Of course, it could also be nothing more than just people within the film industry deciding to follow one another on social media, and realistically, that is usually the case more often than not. Nevertheless, Aaron Pierre’s filmography does make it an interesting topic to ponder whether or not either could be under consideration for John Stewart (Green Lantern) in the DCU.
Aaron Pierre Was On Krypton (& DC Loves Legacy Casting)
The English actor has a prior history with DC, having portrayed the role of Kryptonian commander Dev-Em on the SyFy Channel series Krypton. While that, in and of itself, is hardly proof of Aaron Pierre Pierre being in the running for Green Lantern, it is worth noting that DC – far more so than Marvel – loves to engage in legacy casting, specifically having actors who previously portrayed one DC character return in different roles in other movies or TV shows.
OG Superman Christopher Reeve himself is a prime example of this, appearing as Dr. Virgil Swann on Smallville, while his Man of Steel successor Brandon Routh later became the Arrowverse’s Atom (and later returned as Superman again for Crisis On Infinite Earths.) John Wesley Shipp also has portrayals of Barry Allen, Henry Allen, and Jay Garrick to his name in his tenure on the early ‘90s series The Flash and in the Arrowverse, while Terrence Stamp, Erica Durance, Teri Hatcher, Dean Cain, and numerous others can also lay claim to playing multiple DC characters. Aaron Pierre jumping from Krypton to Lanterns would be just the latest example of DC’s long history of legacy casting, should his hypothetical casting as John Stewart come to pass.
Aaron Pierre Also Just Starred In A Big Hit For Netflix
The timing of King following Pierre on Instagram is also interesting, given that Aaron Pierre has quite recently headlined a big hit on Netflix, the new action movie Rebel Ridge, in which Pierre portrays a down-on-his-luck former Marine who must use his military training to fight a Rambo-style war in a small town. The overall widespread acclaim and popularity Rebel Ridge has enjoyed has naturally elevated Pierre’s profile, which could account for King following him on Instagram, and might suggest him as a potential contender for John Stewart in the DCU.
Of course, with the aforementioned casting hoopla around Hal Jordan for Lanterns, casting John Stewart at all could still be quite a way off from being underway, let alone close to the dotted line being signed. Still, crumbs like the above are part of the fun of superhero movie casting, and it might very well be an interesting trail of breadcrumbs to follow should Aaron Pierre end up donning the Green Lantern Power Ring (one of the most powerful weapons in the DC Universe).
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Tell us, would you like to see Aaron Pierre as Green Lantern (John Stewart) in the DCU? Let us know in the comments.
