James Gunn's Lanterns adds Sherman Augustus to its key cast

Looks like Lanterns has added another actor to its growing list of cast members. Into the Badlands actor Sherman Augustus has been cast in the HBO superhero series as John Stewart Sr. If the name sounds familiar, it's because just yesterday, the casting for the younger version of the same character was announced. J. Alphonse Nicholson would be playing the younger John Stewart Sr.

Augustus' casting adds a new layer of possibility to the upcoming series. Considering that HBO's Lanterns is expanding upon John Stewart's family, some initially theorized that the new Green Lantern recruit may have a tragic backstory involving the loss of a father. However, the casting announcement of an older version of John Sr. suggests something different for Aaron Pierre's John Stewart.

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How will Lanterns incorporate John Stewart's parents?

Despite the commencement of filming, Lanterns has been adding new cast members for the past few weeks. Last week Jason Ritter joined the series, and before him, it was announced that Nicole Ari Parker was going to play Bernadette, John Stewart's mother. Then, the most recent additions to the cast are both the younger and older versions of Sewart's father.

Sherman Augustus' John Stewart Sr. is described as the dictionary definition of the word "stubborn," and he generally tends to obsess on the past and how differently it could've played out. Other than that, we don't have much information about this character currently.

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What will Lanterns be about?

Described as a gritty drama in the vein of True Detective, this HBO series promises to be a more respectful adaptation of the iconic Green Lantern comics. It was announced that Damon Lindelof, whose previous superhero project Watchmen (2019) won prestigious awards, will be one of the creators of this show.

Involved with him are respected comic book writer Tom King and Chris Mundy, who is also serving as the showrunner. Augustus will be joining a talented cast consisting of:

1. Kyle Chandler as respected Green Lantern member Hal Jordan
2. Aaron Pierre as the new recruit to the Lantern Corps John Stewart:
3. Sherman Augustus as Stewart's father John Stewart Sr. J. Alphonse Nicholson will play the younger version of the same character
4. Nicole Ari Parker as Stewart's mother Bernadette
5. Ulrich Thomsen as Hal Jordan's former mentor Sinestro
6. Garret Dillahunt as a present-day cowboy William Macon
7. Jason Ritter as William's son Billy Macon
8. Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe
9. Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry

"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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Lanterns will be airing on HBO next year. It was recently confirmed that the eight-episode series will be released somewhere in the first half of 2026.