Was Kyle Chandler the wrong pick for Lanterns? James Gunn has a cheeky response to the series controversy and provides a shocking release window for the show.
Hype for Lanterns is reaching a critical mass, with the internet celebrating the picture-perfect casting for the DC Universe’s upcoming series. However, it seems not everyone is happy with who James Gunn has signed on for a role in the show. Specifically, some fans have taken aim at Kyle Chandler, who played Hal Jordan in the series, for being “too old” to compete with some of the younger stars like Aaron Pierre, David Corenswet, and Isabela Merced.
James Gunn was asked about the controversy during a recent interview about the DC Universe. The director gave a playful answer at first, teasing fans who have an issue with Kyle Chandler being cast as Hal Jordan in Lanterns. He also revealed that it wasn’t his choice to cast Chandler in that role, but that he does completely stand behind the showrunners for their pick.
“Wait a second, comic book fans had an opinion on casting. What are you talking about!?” Gunn joked in a recent chat with IGN. “The truth is Chris [Mundy] and Tom [King] and Damon [Lindelof] wrote an amazing series, like an incredible series. I’m so excited for people to see this.”
“It’s very grounded, very believable, very real. The kind of things that you would never think that would be the truth about a Green Lanterns television series. And very human, adult and wonderful. And the story that they wrote fit a couple of actors who were of these ages and so that’s who they cast. Those were their choices. I totally backed them up. I love them.”
James Gunn Teases Lanterns Release Window
It was expected that James Gunn would back up the casting choice from the Lanterns showrunner, regardless of if he thought Kyle Chandler was the right pick for the role of Hal Jordan. However, perhaps more interestingly was that Gunn may have given fans a release window for the series, with the project seemingly releasing before another key DC Universe film.
“It’s really Creature Commandos, Superman, Peacemaker, Lanterns, Supergirl. And then some things people don’t know.” Gunn explained before adding “We’ll see when it comes out, but they’re around the same time”
With Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow set to release June 26, 2026, this puts the release window for Lanterns sometime in late quarter 2 to early quarter 3 of 2026. This is likely a lot sooner than expected given how new the DC Universe truly is, but it’s clear that James Gunn is putting all hands on deck to get the universe on track as soon as humanly possible.
The Green Lantern series Lanterns has a series order for HBO. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
