Having already commanded the screen in this year’s hit Netflix movie Rebel Ridge, Aaron Pierre will look to do the same as John Stewart in Lanterns, the new DCU series that James Gunn says is slated to release at some point in 2026. Before we get there, though, Pierre recently shared how he was introduced to Stewart in the first place, and it’s all thanks to a beloved animated series that’s still held up as the gold standard of superhero shows.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly about his upcoming role in Lanterns, of which he said he “can’t wait to get to work” on, the 30-year-old English actor revealed that he was just a kid when he first met Green Lantern, thanks to a short-lived Cartoon Network series that only lasted 39 episodes. Perhaps it’s one you’ve heard of?

I think Justice League Unlimited might have been one of my first introductions to John Stewart.

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Released in 2004, Justice League Unlimited was the conclusion of the DC Animated Universe that began in 1992 with Batman: The Animated Series, and it also served as a direct sequel to 2001’s Justice League. Called “simply the greatest superhero show of all time” by io9 editor James Whitbrook, the series helped close a lot of plot holes that were left open in previous entries, and featured Phil LaMarr lending his voice talents to the role of Stewart. Pierre would have been around 10 when he first watched Justice League Unlimited, so it’s clear he’s been a fan for a long time, as is evident by a recent interview in which he stated he hopes to do justice to the part of Stewart.

“So far as I’m concerned, I’m gonna do my very best to serve and honor and elevate in any way I can, John Stewart and the [Green Lantern] Corps. Hopefully, I serve that and it resonates with me.”

Aaron Pierre Still Hasn’t Seen Ryan Reynolds’ 2011 Box Office Flop

While he may be using the DC comic books and various animated shows to help inform his acting choices when it comes to how he’ll play Stewart, there’s one movie that won’t be an influence on him, at least not at this point. Pierre also revealed in that same interview with Entertainment Weekly that he has yet to see Ryan Reynolds’ box office flop Green Lantern, which is probably for the best.
“I haven’t seen that, no,” he said, before adding that it’s unfortunately “most definitely” on his watch-list. Mr. Pierre, if you’re reading this, stay far, far away from that one, okay? Released in 2011, the movie was a horrendous take on the superhero that to this day is still poked fun at by Reynolds himself. Grossing just $220 million against a budget of $200 million, it holds a 25% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with its audience score a little more forgiving at 45%.
Fans who can’t get enough of Pierre can currently catch him in Rebel Ridge as Marine Corps veteran Terry Richmond, and look for his deep voice to honor the legacy of James Earl Jones in Mufasa: The Lion King, in which he plays the titular character first made famous by Jones in 1994. That one hits theaters everywhere on Dec. 20 from Walt Disney Pictures.

A former Marine confronts corruption in a small town when local law enforcement unjustly seizes the bag of cash he needs to post his cousin’s bail.

Release Date

September 6, 2024

Runtime

131 Minutes

Cast

Aaron Pierre
, David Denman
, Emory Cohen
, Oscar Gale
, AnnaSophia Robb
, Reid Williams
, Steve Zissis
, Daniel H. Chung
, Dana Lee
, Zsane Jhe
, Don Johnson
, C.J. LeBlanc
, Matthew Rimmer
, Brannon Cross
, Victor Eli Hugo
, James Cromwell
, Chelsea Bryan
, Al Vicente
, Terence Rosemore
, Leslie Nipkow
, Rhonda Johnson Dents
, Charlie Talbert
, Harlon Miller
, Clayton Cooper
, Caleb J. Thaggard
, Jordan Thoma
, Angela Griffitt

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