Lanterns: Josh Brolin Has Nothing But "Love" for Kyle Chandler, Show
· BCPosted in: HBO, Max, Movies, TV | Tagged: lanterns
Lanterns: Josh Brolin Has Nothing But "Love" for Kyle Chandler, Show
Though he passed on Hal Jordan, Josh Brolin has seen Lanterns and has nothing but "love" for the cast - especially Kyle Chandler.
Published Sun, 18 Oct 2026 15:15:09 -0500
by Ray Flook
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Article Summary
- Lanterns earned praise for its noir edge, with Kyle Chandler’s wounded, swaggering Hal Jordan standing out.
- Josh Brolin was offered Hal Jordan in Lanterns in 2024 but passed before Kyle Chandler ultimately landed the role.
- Aaron Pierre won the John Stewart role after reports said Lanterns had narrowed the choice to him and Stephan James.
- Brolin says he has love for Lanterns, Kyle Chandler, and the cast, and hopes the DC series is “killing it.”
There are any number of reasons you can point to when it comes to why Showrunner Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country, Ozark), Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers), and Tom King's (Mister Miracle, Supergirl) Aaron Pierre (John Stewart) and Kyle Chandler (Hal Jordan)-starring series Lanterns connected with critics and a ton of viewers. Chandler's portrayal of Jordan as a wounded gunslinger with charm and swagger who hides a world of hurt, looking to save the day despite everyone around him telling him that time has passed him by, was one of those big reasons. But before Chandler was cast, Josh Brolin (Jonah Hex, "Avengers" films) was apparently in play. In September 2024, reports surfaced that Brolin had turned down the role, which was offered "at the end of August," but that he made his decision at "the end of this past weekend."
Shortly after, rumblings began to grow that Chandler was in negotiations for the role, negotiations that would prove to be successful. As that was being finalized, additional reports had John Stewart's role coming down to a choice between Pierre and Stephan James (MGM+'s Beacon 23) – a role that would eventually go to Pierre. Just before October 2024 hit, Brolin confirmed that he had been in talks for the role of Hal Jordan, but that it wasn't happening. "You know what? Green Lantern didn't work out, but that's okay," Brolin shared during an interview in support of his film Brothers. "It's working out. Who is it going to be, Kyle Chandler? I love him as an actor, I think he's wonderful, actually. And, you know, we'll see what's down the line, man."
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter in support of the film Whalefall, Brolin was asked if Prime Video canceling his series Outer Ridge after two seasons soured him to the idea of another series – in this case, Lanterns. "No, it was just one of those things. 'Lanterns,' I love those actors, and I've seen it. I hope that it's killing it," Brolin said. In retrospect, Brolin believes he may have seen too many similarities between the two projects. "But 'Lanterns,' I don't know, maybe it was too close [to Outer Range]. I really loved Outer Range, and seeing what those actors – Tom Pelphrey, Lewis Pullman, Imogen Poots – have done since then makes me very happy. To me, it's a great middle finger to those people who canceled that show. It's like, you had gold. So that's how I perceive it."
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