Since its beginning, Lanterns has billed itself as a mystery series similar to True Detective. Speaking with THR, Lanterns director James Hawes believes those comparisons are valid, but adds that the Green Lantern series will have a little more humour.
“Talking tone, it looks and feels rooted. You meet two guys, but there is wit and comedy to it that you would not expect in True Detective,” Hawes said. “It is, in many ways, a buddy cop structure with travel in the story time, to and fro, that is really sophisticated. Chris Mundy has done the most amazing job with the team there, and so I think [the True Detective comparison] is valid. People will still go, ‘What were you talking about?’ to some extent, but I would also bring in No Country for Old Men, Fargo and things that have that Americana heart to them. There’s a wry humor, and so there definitely is more wit and humor than there is in True Detective.“
Hawes added that he “wanted this world to be rooted, and while there’s only so far you can go with rooting characters in a show about Green Lantern, they are. This is a world where we accept that the Green Lanterns exist and aliens exist. So the rest of it is played straight and in the world as we know it.” The series follows Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), “two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”
The rest of the Lanterns cast includes Kelly MacDonald (Boardwalk Empire) as Sheriff Kerry, a “no-nonsense woman deeply devoted to her family and close-knit town,” Garret Dillahunt (Fear the Walking Dead) as William Macon, a modern cowboy described as “a self-righteous, conspiracy-minded man who masks his ruthless ambition behind a charming and calculated facade,” Poorna Jagannathan (The Night Of) as Zoe, who is described as “effortlessly confident and poised in any setting, even those where she stands out. She is every bit as composed and cunning as the influential men around her,” and Ulrich Thomsen (Banshee) as Sinestro. Jason Ritter (Matlock) also joined the cast as Billy Macon, “a good-looking charmer who does his father’s (Dillahunt) bidding. Capitalizing on his family’s reputation, he clings to his small-town ego and has everything to lose.“ Nathan Fillion will also reprise the role of Guy Gardner in Lanterns. The character will introduce himself in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman movie.
