Kyle Chandler’s portrayal of Hal Jordan in HBO’s Lanterns is being positioned as a markedly different version of Green Lantern from Ryan Reynolds’ 2011 film character. Rather than a large-scale cosmic adventure, the new DC series focuses on Hal’s partnership with rookie Green Lantern John Stewart, played by Aaron Pierre, as they investigate a murder in Nebraska; its creators describe it as a more grounded character study with the tone of a prestige crime drama.

At the Los Angeles premiere, Chandler said he deliberately “did [his] own thing” and prioritised building the relationship between Hal and Stewart with Pierre. Co-creator Tom King said the project grew from James Gunn and Peter Safran’s desire for a late-evening HBO-style superhero drama, drawing inspiration from Watchmen, True Detective and Mare of Easttown; Pierre’s John Stewart is also due to appear in Gunn’s Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow.