After early reports about Josh Brolin potentially joining the DC Universe as Hal Jordan in Lanterns, his fate has been determined in James Gunn and Peter Safran's franchise. The Green Lantern Corps is coming to life in Chapter 1: "Gods and Monsters," as HBO is developing a Lanterns TV show. The DC drama will focus on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two of the most famous Green Lanterns in DC lore, bringing them into the fold through Lanterns.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Brolin has officially passed on the Lanterns role offer, and he will not be signing on to play Hal in the HBO drama. THR also notes that the DC Studios TV show is currently looking to hire directors so that filming can begin in January next year in Atlanta, and wrap in June 2025. Further, the trade confirms that Matthew McConaughey, who was rumored to be one of DC's top picks after Brolin, will not play the Green Lantern character.
What This Green Lantern Report Means For The DCU TV Show
Despite Brolin passing on the role, it does indeed confirm that the Lanterns TV show is looking to tap a big name for Hal. With HBO describing him as a "Lantern legend," it makes sense to hire a more established actor to have that presence and gravitas. In terms of how big of a Hollywood name they will cast for Hal in Lanterns, that remains to be seen, but at least now the world can expect someone very familiar to play the role.
While Brolin is not joining the Lanterns cast as Hal Jordan, that doesn't mean he couldn't join the DC Universe down the line. Hal may not have been a role he was ultimately interested in, especially if the character isn't meant to be around for as long as John, who will be depicted as younger in this incarnation. It wouldn't be shocking if Brolin gets cast as a different DC hero or villain in the future, especially since he is no stranger to the comic book movie genre, which DC Studios could easily capitalize on in the long run.
If they are meant to start filming as early as January 2025, that means casting will need to be locked in before the end of December. Since the casting search has been ongoing for Lanterns, it will definitely be intriguing to see who they actually land on for both Hal and John. Hopefully, the big casting news for both roles in Lanterns will emerge sooner rather than later.
