Somewhere, there’s a corner of the multiverse where Neon beat out Netflix to acquire “Hit Man” and turned the Glen Powell-Adria Arjona two-hander into the word-of-mouth theatrical hit it deserved to be. It’s possible that same, better timeline is also where one of the streamer’s rivals released “Rebel Ridge” in theaters instead of straight to streaming, ensuring we would all be heralding Aaron Pierre as our next major movie star right about now. (Say what you will against the man, but M. Night Shyamalan was once again ahead of the curve, casting Pierre in a memorable supporting turn as the incredibly-named rapper Mid-Sized Sedan in “Old” three years ago.) Luckily, Jeremy Saulnier’s nerve-wracking action-drama has managed to avoid being swallowed into the streaming void and is currently topping the Netflix charts in the U.S., which means the internet is actively in the process of fan-casting Pierre’s next big project.
With naught but a voice role as a young Mufasa in his “Underground Railroad” director Barry Jenkins’ upcoming “Lion King” prequel on his docket, what do people think Pierre should do next? Play a superhero, of course! Okay, so sure, fan-casting a hot young actor as a comic book character is about as clichéd as it gets in 2024, but in this case, folks have a specific role in mind for Pierre, and it would actually be a solid fit. With reports circulating that DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran are reaching out to potential candidates to play Hal Jordan in the DC Universe’s Green Lantern series “Lanterns,” people on social media are already looking ahead to nominate their picks for the show’s version of Jordan’s fellow Lantern John Stewart. And given the opening in Pierre’s schedule … well, you can see where this is going, right?
Beware my power – Green Lantern’s light!
Sometimes, what appears to be dream-crushing misfortune turns out to be a blessing in disguise. As much as “Rebel Ridge” seemed doomed when its original star, John Boyega, left the film a month into production in 2021, it’s since come out the other side looking pretty fantastic. More to the point, with no disrespect to my man Boyega (who’s done terrific work outside of “Star Wars” in films like “Attack the Block” and “The Woman King”), it’s hard to imagine anyone but Pierre playing the lead in Saulnier’s film once you’ve seen it. As /Film’s Chris Evangelista noted in his “Rebel Ridge” review, “Pierre is the film’s true weapon, and the movie wouldn’t work nearly as well as it does without his cool-as-hell performance. The actor has striking eyes, and Saulnier realizes this, using lots of close-ups of [Pierre’s] face as he silently works things out.”
It also doesn’t hurt that Pierre’s character in the movie, Terry Richmond, is a military veteran and lifelong soldier at heart who just can’t help but do the right thing no matter the cost to himself, much like John Stewart. One need only search “Aaron Pierre John Stewart” or even just “John Stewart” on Twitter (sorry, but we all know calling it “X” is part of Parallax’s scheme for world domination) to see that just about everyone who cares enough to weigh in on this agrees that Pierre is perfect for the role. His age shouldn’t a problem, either; as Gunn previously explained, “Lanterns” is being envisioned as a “True Detective”-inspired sci-fi drama about Jordan and Stewart protecting Earth from cosmic threats as part of the Green Lantern Corps. Subsequent casting reports have also affirmed that the show’s take on Jordan will be an older, grizzled Lantern who acts as a mentor to the younger Stewart, making Pierre all the more fitting for the part.
Is there a part of me that wants Pierre to steer clear of any superhero properties and continue to build a name for himself through other means? Absolutely, but there’s also no denying he’s a worthy match for the DCU’s John Stewart. /Film will keep an eye on the situation and bring you any updates as they unfold.
