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After much speculation,Aaron Pierrehas been cast as the Green Lantern John Stewart in HBO’s upcomingLanternsseries. Due to his role inJustice LeagueandJustice League Unlimited, John Stewart is likely the most famous Green Lantern among a generation of fans and the general public. When the shortlist was revealed to be between Pierre andIf Beale Street Could Talkstar Stephan James, Pierre seemed to have immediate fan support following his role in the hit Netflix original filmRebel Ridge.
With the role of John Stewart, Pierre will be stepping into James Gunn’s new DCU, which will tie various projects together, such as the upcomingSupermanreboot, the animatedCreature Commandos,PeacemakerSeason 2, andSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow,to name a few. Like many actors, from Clancy Brown to Nathan Fillion,this is not Pierre’s first time stepping into the world of DC. He was on a short-lived series centered on Superman, specifically Superman’s grandfather.
Aaron Pierre Starred in Krypton
Pierre’s breakout role was on the Syfy Channel seriesKrypton. Airing from July 25, 2025, to June 01, 2025,Kryptonwas set 200 years before the birth of Superman and focused on his grandfather, Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe), who seeks to redeem his family’s honor and save the planet from destruction at the hands of Brainiac. Pierre played Dev-Em, a new Kryptonian soldier who is set to marry Lyta-Zod (Georgina Campbell), unbeknownst to him that Lyta-Zod has been carrying out a secret relationship with Seg-El. While Dev-Em does come under the control of Brainiac for a short time, he breaks free and eventually becomes an ally of Seg-El’s.
What the New Justice League Team Means for Superman
Set photos from James Gunn’s Superman show David Corenswet’s Man of Steel fighting alongside a new DC super-team, the Justice League International.
Dev-Em was created by Jerry Siegel and George Papp and debutedAdventure Comics#287 in June 1961. Originally, he was a Kryptonian juvenile delinquent who fought Superboy (a young Clark Kent). Dev-Em later traveled to the future and became an ally of the Legion of the Superheroes. FollowingCrisis on Infinite Earths,the character’s origin was rewritten due to a mandate from DC Comics to make Superman the only Kryptonian. Dev-Em was reimagined as a separate alien race known as a Daxamite and made into a full villain. The character’s Kryptonian status was reinstated in 2006, and he was established as one of the Phantom Zone prisoners.
Dev-Em is a minor character in the comics, but a series likeKryptonwas able to give him the spotlight that a more traditional Superman-centric storyline never could. They were allowed to change his origin, making him part of a love triangle with Superman’s grandfather, Seg-El, and General Zod’s mother. While some might have dismissed the idea of aSuperman series without Supermanand a Krypton series not about Jor-El but his father,Kryptonacted as an introduction for audiences to Aaron Pierre, as before then, he only had small episode arcs in series likePrime Suspect 1973,The A Word, andBritannia.Kryptonpremiered the same year Pierre played Cassio inOthelloat the Globe Theater in London.Kryptonwas an essential part of his journey.
The Future of Green Lantern
Pierre’s profile has grown in the five years sinceKryptonwas canceled. In 2021, he made his feature film debut with M. Night Shyamalan’sOld. He then followed that up with 2022’sBrotherand 2023’sFoe. 2024 has been an incredible year for Pierre.Rebel Ridgewas a big hit on Netflix, with a lot of attention paid to Pierre’s performance as Terry Richmond, a former Marine who takes on a corrupt police force. Now, he has landed the lead role of John Stewart inLanterns. Later this year, he will voice Mufasa in the Disney prequel,Mufasa: The Lion King.
Kyle Chandler has beencast as Hal Jordanand will co-star alongside Pierre inLanterns. Notably, Chandler’s contract does not have other film appearances, suggesting thatPierre will be the main Green Lantern of James Gunn’s DCU. With Superman also featuring Hawkgirl, played by Isabela Merced, James Gunn might be building a Justice League roster that closely resembles the animated series. That series popularized a romance between John Stewart’s Green Lantern and Hawkgirl, which might be on the table for James Gunn’s DCU.
Actors Who Almost Played Green Lantern
These actors almost wore the emerald power ring and came close to becoming the face of the Green Lantern for audiences.
Pierre certainly has come a long way, from playing a lesser-known DC hero on a Syfy series to now playing one of the most famous DC heroes who will lead an HBO series and possibly spin off into feature films. Pierre is an actor who has traveled across DC’s cosmos and multiverse.His hit film,Rebel Ridge, is available to stream onNetflix.
