HBO's Lanterns just added actor J. Alphonse Nicholson to its cast

HBO's Lanterns just cast another important character after adding Jason Ritter last week. According to Deadline, J. Alphonse Nicholson, known for his role as LaMarques in P-Valley has joined the HBO DC series as the Young John Stewart Sr., Green Lantern John Stewart (Aaron Pierre)'s father. So, his role in the show might be a bit small.

It must be noted that we even have John Stewarts' mother Bernadette Stewart played by actress Nicole Ari Parker in Lanterns. Both Bernadette and John Stewart Sr. are creations for the show as John Stewart's parents haven't factored that much into the DC Comics mythology.

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J. Alphonse Nicholson joins Lanterns as John Stewart's father:

As stated earlier Nicholson became a household name as one of P-Valley's protagonists LaMarques. His role in Lanterns is a welcome addition. Not a lot is known about his role except for his character name. But given that the show was stated to be inspired by HBO's other hit True Detective, it is safe to assume that John Stewart Sr. played by Nicholson might be seen in a flashback.

In the comics, before joining the Green Lantern Corps, John Stewart was a veteran in the U.S. Marine. The series might expand upon the history of the Stewart family and suggest that John's father was serving in the armed forces before him.

This will explain why Aaron Pierre's John Stewart looks so formal in the first official image released for Lanterns.

The flashback episode may even be set in the same town that Hal and John are investigating.

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Who are the actors involved in Lanterns?

The cast of this HBO series is stacked with talented actors such as:

1. Kyle Chandler will be playing the role of the legendary Green Lantern Hal Jordan
2. Aaron Pierre will be playing the role of the new Lantern recruit John Stewart
3. Kelly Macdonald will be playing the role of Sheriff Kerry
4. Garret Dillahunt will be playing the role of a modern cowboy William Macon
5. Jason Ritter will be playing the role of William's son Billy Macon
6. Poorna Jagannathan will be playing the role of Zoe
7. Ulrich Thomsen will be playing the role of Sinestro, the former Green Lantern and Hal Jordan's mentor who is now his worst enemy
8. Nicole Ari Parker as John Stewart's mother Bernadette
9. J. Alphonse Nicholson as a young John Stewart Sr.

The synopsis of the show as per IMDb reads as follows:

"The series follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland."

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What do you think about this new casting choice? Lanterns has been confirmed to air on HBO somewhere in early 2026.