Guy Gardner makes a cameo in new Lanterns teaser

Sherman Augustus plays John Stewart Sr., with J. Alphonse Nicholson playing the younger version; Nicole Ari Parker plays Bernadette Stewart (mother to John Jr.), with Jasmine Cephas Jones playing the young version of the character. In addition, Chris Coy plays a suspiciously nervous truck driver, Waylon Sanders; Cary Christopher plays a gifted child named Noah; and Laura Linney and Paula Patton will appear in as-yet-undisclosed guest roles. We also know that the show will feature the inter-dimensional prison and the Checkmate organization introduced in Peacemaker’s S2 finale. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has said that the events will set up other things within the DCU as a whole. So, is it a gritty buddy-cop series or a superhero series? Showrunner Chris Mundy recently told Men’s Health that it’s very much both. “Our show is in a lot of ways about replacement—when should someone step aside and when is it time for the next person to take the reins?” Mundy said. “That push and pull between those two characters is really important. So much of the power that John has is by not taking the bait, understanding that you lose your power if you’re yelling and screaming. That’s what we’re trying to convey: He knows he belongs, so he doesn’t have to overcompensate. There’s a real balance there that’s just innately inside of Aaron. He’s big. He’s an intimidating presence just physically. But there’s a softness to him, too. There’s a thoughtfulness. You can’t teach that.” Lanterns premieres on August 16, 2026, on HBO Max.