HBO’s Lanterns is the first live-action Green Lantern series of the new DC Studios era, and it’s being sold as a “True Detective-style” crime story rather than a cape show. Eight episodes. Showrunner Chris Mundy, with Damon Lindelof and comics writer Tom King attached. Filming ran through 2025 in Georgia, and the series is set for a 2026 debut on HBO and HBO Max.
That slow-burn pitch means the casting leans heavily on character actors instead of gym-built supermen — but the two leads still had to look the part of intergalactic cops. Aaron Pierre was already one of the more physically imposing actors working before he put on the ring, and Kyle Chandler at 60 is playing a Hal Jordan who’s been out in the field too long.
Here’s a breakdown of the main cast, their measurements, and what each of them brings physically to the roles.
| Actor | Role | Height | Approx. Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Pierre | John Stewart | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | 198 lbs (90 kg) |
| Kyle Chandler | Hal Jordan | 6 ft (183 cm) | 180 lbs (82 kg) |
| Kelly Macdonald | Sheriff Kerry | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | 119 lbs (54 kg) |
| Nathan Fillion | Guy Gardner | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | 194 lbs (88 kg) |
| Garret Dillahunt | Undisclosed | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | 176 lbs (80 kg) |
| Ulrich Thomsen | William Macon | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | 183 lbs (83 kg) |
1. Aaron Pierre
Pierre, born in June 1994 in London, stands 6 ft 2 in and carries about 198 lbs. He trained as a stage actor at LAMDA, then built the frame that got him noticed in The Underground Railroad (2021) and M. Night Shyamalan’s Old. By the time he played ex-Marine Terry Richmond in Netflix’s Rebel Ridge (2024), he was doing his own grappling work after months of combatives and Brazilian jiu-jitsu prep.
For John Stewart — a Marine sniper turned Green Lantern — Pierre kept the same template: heavy compound lifting, high-protein eating, and enough conditioning to survive long stunt days. He’s talked publicly about treating fitness as mental discipline more than aesthetics. He also voiced Mufasa in Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King (2024), which required plenty of breath control instead.
2. Kyle Chandler
Image: Kevin Paul / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Chandler, born September 17, 1965, is 6 ft tall and sits around 180 lbs — a lean, lived-in build he’s held for decades. He’s the guy Hollywood calls for weathered authority: Coach Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights, John Rayburn on Bloodline, Mark Russell in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
At 60, he’s the oldest live-action Hal Jordan ever cast, and that’s deliberate — this Hal is a veteran Lantern near the end of the line, not a hotshot test pilot. Chandler keeps his conditioning functional rather than cosmetic, and has said he’d rather work on his Texas ranch than in a gym.
3. Kelly Macdonald
The Glasgow-born actress, born February 23, 1976, is 5 ft 4 in and about 119 lbs. She got cast in Trainspotting (1996) off an open audition flyer with no formal training, then went on to No Country for Old Men, five seasons of Boardwalk Empire, and the voice of Merida in Brave.
In Lanterns, she plays Sheriff Kerry, the local law enforcement caught between two Green Lanterns and a murder investigation. Macdonald has publicly described herself as not a gym person, favoring walking and swimming.
4. Nathan Fillion
Fillion, born March 27, 1971, in Edmonton, is 6 ft 1 in and about 194 lbs. He debuted as Guy Gardner in James Gunn’s Superman (2025) — bowl cut, bad attitude, intact — and is carrying the character into Lanterns.
He’s been doing police-procedural fitness for years on ABC’s The Rookie, where running, foot chases, and tactical work keep him in steady shape well into his 50s. Fillion has been open about weight fluctuations across his career, dropping noticeable pounds before suiting up for Gunn’s DC universe.
5. Garret Dillahunt
Image: Kevin Paul / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Born November 24, 1964, Dillahunt is 6 ft 1 in and a wiry 176 lbs — a rangy build that’s let him play both menacing killers and goofy sitcom dads. He pulled off two separate roles in Deadwood, played Burt Chance on Raising Hope, and showed up in No Country for Old Men, Fear the Walking Dead and Army of the Dead.
He’s Juilliard-trained, did competitive sports before acting, and has kept the same lean frame for 25 years on screen.
6. Ulrich Thomsen
Image: Siebbi / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Danish actor, born December 6, 1963, is about 6 ft 1 in and around 183 lbs. He broke out internationally in Thomas Vinterberg’s The Celebration (1998), played a Bond henchman in The World Is Not Enough, and spent four seasons as crime boss Kai Proctor on Cinemax’s Banshee.
He plays William Macon in Lanterns, a figure tied to the show’s central mystery. Thomsen trained in Danish theater and has a still, heavy-shouldered physicality that reads as threat without any flexing.
7. Jason Ritter
Born February 17, 1980, Ritter stands about 5 ft 9 in and weighs about 160 lbs. The son of John Ritter, he’s built a career on sincerity: Mark Cyr on Parenthood, the lead in Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, and Pat Rogers on Netflix’s Raising Dion.
He’s been open about getting sober in 2017, crediting it with better sleep, steadier weight and more energy on set. He’s married to actress Melanie Lynskey.
8. Poorna Jagannathan
Image: Kevin Paul / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Born December 22, 1972, Jagannathan is around 5 ft 5 in and about 121 lbs. She earned wide attention as Safar Khan in HBO’s The Night Of (2016), then played Dr. Nalini Vishwakumar across all four seasons of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever.
She’s also appeared in Big Little Lies and Ramy, and is a longtime advocate on gender-violence issues through the stage production Nirbhaya. Yoga and walking are her go-to maintenance, not heavy lifting.
What stands out is how little of this cast is built like a superhero ensemble. Pierre is the outlier — the one genuinely gym-forged body in the group — while everyone around him looks like someone you’d meet in a small Nebraska town. That’s exactly the point of Lanterns, and it’s why the search spike around Pierre and Chandler keeps climbing ahead of the 2026 premiere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the tallest actor in the Lanterns (HBO) cast?
Aaron Pierre is the tallest at 6 ft 2 in (188 cm), weighing roughly 198 lbs (90 kg) as John Stewart.
How tall is Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan?
Kyle Chandler stands 6 ft (183 cm) and weighs about 180 lbs (82 kg), a lean build he has maintained for decades.
Who plays Guy Gardner in Lanterns and how tall is he?
Nathan Fillion plays Guy Gardner. He is 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) and weighs around 194 lbs (88 kg).
How did Aaron Pierre train for the role of John Stewart?
Pierre stuck to heavy compound lifting, high-protein eating and conditioning for long stunt days, building on the combatives and Brazilian jiu-jitsu prep he did for Rebel Ridge.
Why is the Lanterns cast made up of character actors instead of bodybuilders?
The series is pitched as a True Detective-style crime story rather than a traditional superhero show, so casting favored character actors — though the two leads still had to look like intergalactic cops.
When does Lanterns premiere on HBO?
The eight-episode series was filmed through 2025 in Georgia and is set to debut in 2026 on HBO and HBO Max.
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Last Updated: October 22, 2026 | Source: Healthy Celeb
