James Gunn’s Green Lantern Series Wants Marvel & DC Star Josh Brolin As Hal Jordan (Report)

It might be the Labor Day holiday here in the States, but James Gunn and his rapidly-expanding DC Universe isn’t taking a single day off. While the new studio CEO is currently busy guiding his “Superman” reboot to the finish line, Gunn and his DC Studios co-head Peter Safran have also been multitasking as they further flesh out the franchise around their golden goose. One of the more high-profile projects that’s being developed comes in the form of a new series titled “Lanterns,” initially described as a riff on “True Detective” and one that will center primarily on the (arguably) underserved character of John Stewart. But as befitting its name, there will be various other Green Lanterns fighting for their share of screen time, not least of which will be Hal Jordan. Now, according to a new report, we have a better idea of who might be in consideration to play the fan-favorite superhero — and he’s a very familiar face to both DC and Marvel fans alike.

As first reported by Nexus Point News and corroborated by scooper Jeff Sneider’s latest newsletter (paywalled), as well as by /Film’s own sources, Gunn and Safran have gone so far as to extend a formal offer to Josh Brolin. The actor is certainly no stranger to the comic book sandbox. Most well-known for portraying the mad titan Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame,” the “Dune” actor also portrayed Cable in “Deadpool 2” and the DC character Jonah Hex in the misbegotten flop of the same name back in 2010. (We humbly apologize to Brolin and his representatives for even bringing that debacle up again.) If that potential casting seems strange, however, there’s a method behind it. Sneider indicates there will be a Riggs/Murtaugh dynamic between John Stewart and Hal Jordan.

You might say Josh Brolin is starting to collect comic book roles like Thanos was gobbling up Infinity Stones. To throw just a little cold water on this bit of hot gossip, it’s worth noting that Sneider’s rumor is just that — a rumor. The prickly personality does have a solid track record, to be fair, but it’s always worth adding a pinch or two of salt to such early reports. That said, much of “Lanterns” (which will officially fall under the HBO umbrella and air on the premium channel, followed by its streaming availability on Max) has already fallen into place and it would seem logical that DC Studios is now setting its sights on casting.

As for other casting details other than Brolin’s possible involvement, no details have been reported just yet. The role of John Stewart will obviously be a hot commodity for up-and-coming actors, which Sneider describes will be a “20-something Black man” who will play off Hal Jordan’s much older, more gruff personality — a well-worn trope going back to 1987’s “Lethal Weapon” and beyond. We previously covered Gunn’s reveal that the series has already found its stable of writers: “Ozark” writer Chris Mundy, longtime veteran Damon Lindelof (“Watchmen,” “Lost”), and DC Comics’ own Tom King, with Justin H. Britt-Gibson, Breannah Gibson, and Vanessa Baden Kelly also rounding out the writers’ room. Gunn originally pitched the series as:

“[…] this is really a terrestrial-based TV show, which is almost like ‘True Detective’ with a couple of Green Lanterns who are space cops watching over precinct Earth. In it, they discover a terrifying mystery that ties into our larger story of the DCU.”

Stay tuned for more updates as they come in.