HBO's Lanterns Reportedly Casts New Character That May Debunk Rumor About Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
After making a dark and dynamic debut with Creature Commandos, James Gunn's DCU will blast into theaters with the David Corenswet-led Superman, but I'd be lying if I said I'm not inherently more amped up about HBO's Lanterns series than most upcoming 2025 TV shows. With an abundance of talents behind the camera, including comics mastermind Tom King, the series has amassed a stacked cast of both familiar characters (like the villainous Sinestro) and original ones. And the latest new star seemingly throws a wrench into love interest rumors for Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan.
TV veteran and famed son of John Ritter (even if his Matlock co-star didn't know it), Jason Ritter is reported to have signed on for the cast of Lanterns, and as much as I'd love for this to be some kind of wild Gravity Falls crossover idea, that just wouldn't make any sense. But if the report's details are indeed legit, then it throws a ring-crafted wrench into prior rumors about Hal Jordan's love life.
According to The Insneider (via ComicBookMovie), Ritter is joining the upcoming DC TV show to play an as-yet-unnamed character who is married to the character portrayed by Boardwalk Empire alum Kelly MacDonald. She was previously cast as Sheriff Kerry, who's described as being very devoted to both her hometown and her family. And it would appear that Ritter will be the main component of that family.
Prior to Kelly MacDonald's official casting news, the actress was part of her own rumor thread, which correctly pinpointed that she would be portraying the show's core law enforcement. But those rumors also indicated that her character would serve as Hal Jordan's romantic foil, which sparked its own subsection of comic-based theorizing to determine whether or not she'd be a remixed version of someone from the source material.
The prevailing notion had been that she'd be playing a sub-in for Carol Ferris, who has long been the most prominent love interest of Hal's, and who also eventually takes on the mantle of Star Sapphire. (Notably, Blake Lively portrayed Carol in Ryan Reynolds' arguably rewatchable 2011 effort Green Lantern, and the celebs are still together.) Of course, the fact that Kerry is a sheriff had already thrown doubt onto the Carol assumptions, and with Ritter now set as her husband, one can only wonder where those early rumors came from.
Unless...maybe the idea here is that Ritter's character will be a less-than-desirable hubby, inevitably sending his badge-toting wife right into Hal Jordan's beefy arms. That could make sense, especially if Ritter is already working full-time on Matlock and might only be utilized for a limited amount of Lanterns episodes. That's just me speculating, though. He may very well get his own ring at some point in the show.
Let's be real, though. The only person who should join Lanterns to play Kyle Chandler's love interest is his former Friday Night Lights wifey Connie Britton. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't handle yellow. Wait, that doesn't sound right...
One has to wonder whether we'll see Jason Ritter on Lanterns before we ever see his long-rumored cameo in Yellowjackets, which stars his real-life significant other Melanie Lynskey. Regardless, stay tuned for more casting news as we await the first official Lanterns trailer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
J.K. Rowling Shares Her Early Take on Harry Potter TV Series
Harry Potter's sire, J.K, Rowling, has shared her early take on the TV series being conjured by HBO. It was first announced in April 2023 that Max had ordered a TV series based on the popular Harry Potter novels, with author Rowling attached as an executive producer. (In June 2024, the Harry Potter project was among several upcoming Max shows rebranded as HBO originals, guaranteeing that they will air on the cable network as well as stream.) More from TVLine Casting News: Andor Subs In for Kimmel, Connie Britton Joins Steve Carell Comedy and More Casting News: Severance Duo on Millionaire, Steve Carell Comedy Casts Bridesmaids Vet and More The White Lotus: Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood Reveal a Rick and Chelsea Sex Scene Was Cut From the Finale ('It Was So Powerful') 'In partnership with Warner Bros. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new … series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years,' HBO CEO Casey Bloys said at the time of the announcement. Rowling in turn said, 'Max's commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I'm looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series.' This Saturday evening — two years and two months later — Rowling shared on X, 'I read the first two episodes of the forthcoming HBO Harry Potter series and they are SO, SO, SO GOOD!' When someone asked, 'So you are not doing the writing for this show?,' Rowling X'd back, 'No, but I've worked closely with the extremely talented writers.' Even so, the initial news that Rowling would so much as carry an executive producer credit on the series was met with many fans' ire, given myriad statements she has made in recent years about sex and gender that have been deemed transphobic. In response to that first wave of backlash, Rowling quipped on X, 'Dreadful news, which I feel duty bound to share. Activists in my mentions are trying to organise yet another boycott of my work, this time of the Harry Potter TV show. As forewarned is forearmed, I've taken the precaution of laying in a large stock of champagne.' Production on the Harry Potter TV series is set to begin this summer, with filming taking place at England's Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. Newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton will respectively star as young wizards Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. (See the full Harry Potter cast list here.) The timetable for the show's premiere date, however, is less clear. 'When we started the whole thing, we kind of laid out, 'Oh, it could probably be [2027], something like that,'' HBO's Bloys told reporters in November 2024. 'But don't hold me to any of that, because we're just getting started in the writing and casting process.' Want scoop on the Harry Potter series, or for any other TV show? Shoot an email to InsideLine@ and your question may be answered via Matt's Inside Line! Harry Potter TV Series: Everything We Know View List Best of TVLine 'Missing' Shows, Found! Get the Latest on Ahsoka, Monarch, P-Valley, Sugar, Anansi Boys and 25+ Others Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?) The Emmys' Most Memorable Moments: Laughter, Tears, Historical Wins, 'The Big One' and More
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
J.K. Rowling Raves About HBO's ‘Harry Potter' Series After Working ‘Closely' With the Writers: ‘I've Read the First Two Episodes. They Are So, So Good'
With HBO's 'Harry Potter' series nearing a production start date, J.K. Rowling has taken to X to give the series her full-blown support. She confirmed that she's 'worked closely with the extremely talented writers' on the show, although she will not be getting any writing credits herself like she has on the 'Fantastic Beasts' movies. 'I read the first two episodes of the forthcoming HBO 'Harry Potter' series and they are SO, SO, SO GOOD!' Rowling also posted. More from Variety How 'The Gilded Age' Shot in Newport's Historic Mansions, and Brought a Tourism Boom to the Wealthy Rhode Island Enclave 'Wizkid: Long Live Lagos' Review: Nigeria's Global Pop Superstar Gets an Entertaining and Propulsive Documentary Warner Bros. Games Restructures Development Into 'Game of Thrones,' Harry Potter, 'Mortal Kombat' and DC Universe Divisions HBO made it clear from the beginning that Rowling would be involved in some capacity with bringing her iconic literary series back to life on screen, this time as a television series, where each book is set to cover one season of TV. Network CEO Casey Bloys previously told reporters that Rowling was 'very, very involved in the process' of selecting showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod to lead the charge on the 'Harry Potter' TV series. Rowling has courted controversy since 2020 for regularly sharing beliefs on social media that many believe are transphobic. The author also uses platforms like X to regularly troll her critics and take aim at public figures (such as slamming John Oliver's comments on trans athletes). Both HBO and the new 'Harry Potter' cast have received backlash for getting into business with Rowling due to her anti-trans posts. Bloys has said that Rowling's anti-trans statements 'haven't affected the casting or hiring of writers or production staff' for the show. He appeared on 'The Town' podcast in May and stressed to 'Harry Potter' fans that the network's upcoming series will not be 'infused' with Rowling's controversial views on the transgender community. 'The decision to be in business with J.K. Rowling is not new for us. We've been in business for 25 years,' Bloys said. 'We already have a show on HBO from her called 'C.B. Strike' that we do with the BBC. It's pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. She's entitled to them. 'Harry Potter' is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter.' Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout are headlining HBO's 'Harry Potter' series as Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. The supporting cast will feature John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, among others. Rowling made headlines in May for saying she wouldn't fire Essiedu after he signed an open letter condemning the U.K. Supreme Court for ruling that transgender women are not legally considered women and transgender men are not legally considered men. 'I don't have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn't exercise it if I did,' Rowling wrote on X while sharing an article about Essiedu. 'I don't believe in taking away people's jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.' The 'Harry Potter' series is expected to go into production later this year for a premiere sometime in 2026. I read the first two episodes of the forthcoming HBO Harry Potter series and they are SO, SO, SO GOOD! — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 21, 2025 No, but I've worked closely with the extremely talented writers. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 21, 2025 Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
007: Next James Bond Rumored to be DCU Star
A new rumor surrounding the James Bond franchise suggests that a forthcoming DCU star is one of several actors being eyed for the highly coveted role of James Bond. According to noted insider Daniel Richtman (also known as DanielRPK), Aaron Pierre is one of several names being considered for the role of the legendary spy. Pierre broke out into superstardom following his role in 2021's Old, and Netflix's Rebel Ridge, as well as 2024's Mufasa: The Lion King. Pierre will also next appear in the next season of Apple TV+'s The Morning Show, and will play John Stewart in the DCU for the series' Lanterns series. Richtman didn't mention any other names that are being considered for Bond. The James Bond franchise is now in the hands of Amazon MGM Studios following the shocking announcement earlier this year that longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson would be stepping back from their long-time status as producers on the franchise, allowing Amazon MGM Studios to take creative control of the franchise. The agreement sees Amazon MGM Studios and the duo forming a new joint venture house to house the intellectual property rights for the Bond franchise. The three parties will remain co-owners of the Bond series, but now Amazon MGM Studios will have creative control, something that Broccoli and Wilson had retained before. Prior to the announcement, both Wilson and Broccoli had been known as fiercely protective over the franchise, but in a statement on the move, Wilson noted that he was stepping back to focus more on art and charitable projects, while Broccoli said she would be focusing on other projects now. Information about the future of the James Bond franchise, as well as what the next film will be about, remains mysterious for now.
