SafeX Pro:Kyle Chandler in talks to play new 'Green Lantern' in new HBO series, reports say

Kyle Chandler of "Friday Night Lights" fame has reportedly been tapped to star in a new HBO show set in the DC Universe.

Multiple outlets,SafeX Pro including The Hollywood Reporter and Variety reported Monday that the Emmy winner is "in negotiations" to play Hal Jordan, a main character in "Lanterns," a show based on the DC comic "Green Lantern."

The series, picked up for an eight-episode run, is the latest "Green Lantern" live-action, following the portrayal of Hal Jordan by Ryan Reynolds in the 2011 movie adaptation. "Lanterns" is produced by HBO in association with Warner Bros Television and DC Studios, Deadline reported.

"Lanterns," according to The Hollywood Reporter, is currently "casting and in the middle of hiring directors." They plan to shoot the series starting early next year in Atlanta.

The series, as well as the release of other DC Comics projects, are set to usher in a new era for the DCU.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

"John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and'Lanterns' brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with 'Superman,'" James Gunn and Peter Safran, DC Studios co-chairmen and co-CEOs said in a statement obtained by Deadline.

USA TODAY's requests for comment from Kyle Chandler's agent, DC Comics and Warner Brothers were not immediately returned as of Monday afternoon.

Kyle Chandler in talks to play newest 'Green Lantern'

"Lanterns" follows the story of a couple of "Green Lanterns," John Stewart and Hal Jordan, who are "space cops" tasked with watching over precinct Earth, according to Gunn.

"In it, they discover a terrifying mystery that ties into our larger story of the DCU," Gunn says in a January 2023 clip.

A few other "Lanterns" were "peppered" into the show, but Gunn says that at its core, it's a "terrestrial based TV show" that is similar to "True Detective," an HBO Originals show about cops.

Chandler, who is rumored to play Hal Jordan, was a trained pilot who was entrusted with a "power ring" after an alien's untimely death in a spaceship wreck. The alien was part of the Green Lantern Corps, an "organization of beings from across the cosmos, armed with power rings fueled by the green energy of all willpower in the universe," according to the DC Comics website.

He inherited the "duties" of the alien, who was responsible for the safety and protection of the Green Lantern of Earth’s space sector. Jordan, according to DC Comics, joined "a standing army of 7,200 Green Lantern Corps members patrolling 3,600 sectors of space."

"Hal’s life as a Green Lantern has not been easy. He’s had to fight not only enemies, but often friends, colleagues and loved ones," according to the Green Lantern's online bio. "But despite the strain his Green Lantern identity has put on his life, Hal is an honest man who can operate without fear, and is always willing to protect those in need—whether alone, with the Corps or alongside the Justice League and Earth’s other Super Heroes. For Hal has sworn the oath of every Green Lantern—that no evil will escape his sight."

The release of 'very different' DC Studios projects are on the horizon

"Lanterns" was one of multiple projects announced by Gunn last year, as him and Safran worked together to "come in and make sure that DCU is connected in film, television, gaming and animation."

"That the characters are consistent, played by the same actors, and it works within one story. And if something is outside of that, like Matt Reeves' "Batman," or Todd Philips' "Joker" or "Teen Titans Go!" that it is clearly labeled as DC Elseworlds, outside of the mainstream DCU continuity," Gunn says in the video.

These projects, which falls under DC Studios' Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, are part of an eight-to-ten-year plan that maps out what "DC Studios will be in film, television and gaming," according to Gunn.

The projects, which will debut as shows or films, are only some of the projects that DC Studios plans to create and produce for the first chapter of this new era.

"Those are the stories that I can tell you about right now. I've loved DC characters since I was a child. They're incredibly important to me. I knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something very different," Gunn said.

What is DC Studios working on next?

The list of upcoming DC Studios projects include:

• "Creature Commandos"
• "Waller"
• "Superman: Legacy"
• "Lanterns"
• "The Authority"
• "Paradise Lost"
• "The Brave and The Bold"
• "Booster Gold"
• "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow"
• "Swamp Thing"