• Laura Linney has officially joined the cast of HBO’s Lanterns, premiering August 16.
• Her role is being kept under wraps, but a teaser scene with Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart has fans theorizing she’s Carol Ferris.
• The series stars Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two Green Lanterns investigating a murder in the American heartland.
• Showrunner Chris Mundy revealed the show will run across two timelines — 2016 and 2026 — with Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner appearing multiple times.
• Linney’s casting was first reported in 2025 but only officially confirmed with Monday’s teaser drop.

Laura Linney is heading to the DC universe — and nobody’s saying who she’s playing. The acclaimed actress has officially joined the cast of HBO’s Lanterns, the highly anticipated Green Lantern series starring Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler, and a new teaser that dropped Monday gives fans just enough to start spinning theories.

The biggest one? She’s Carol Ferris.

In the teaser, Pierre’s John Stewart is mid-conversation with Linney’s character — clearly someone he trusts, someone whose opinion carries weight. “I was raised fearless, and I’ll do this better than he’s ever done it before,” John tells her. Her response is calm, assured: “Then go and get it, John Stewart.” It’s a brief exchange, but it’s loaded. And if John is looking for guidance on how to handle Hal Jordan — his mentor, his complicated predecessor — there aren’t many people in the DC mythology who know Hal better than Carol Ferris.

Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Carol Ferris first appeared in DC Comics’ Showcase #22 and later as Star Sapphire in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #16. She’s been Hal Jordan’s on-again, off-again love interest, a skilled pilot in her own right, and — depending on the storyline — both an enemy and an ally of the Green Lantern Corps. The character has been voiced by Kari Wahlgren, Jennifer Hale, and Olivia d’Abo in animation, and was portrayed by Blake Lively opposite Ryan Reynolds in the 2011 film. If the Lanterns version of Carol is someone John turns to for perspective on Hal, that tracks perfectly with the show’s central dynamic.

DC Studios and HBO aren’t confirming anything yet. Linney’s casting was first reported back in 2025 but wasn’t officially announced until the new teaser made it impossible to ignore — her character appears prominently enough near the end of the preview that the announcement had to come out the same day.

What We Know About the Show Itself

Lanterns follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan — “two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland,” per the official logline. Showrunner Chris Mundy, who helmed True Detective: Night Country, co-created the series with Damon Lindelof (Watchmen) and Tom King (Supergirl). The pilot was co-written by all three.

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mundy revealed that the series actually runs across two separate timelines: 2016 and 2026. The 2016 story kicks off in Rushville, Nebraska, where a shooting has Hal convinced something alien is involved — though local Sheriff Kerry (Kelly Macdonald) isn’t buying it. A second mystery, set in 2026, will gradually converge with the first over the course of the eight-episode season.

“That becomes a second mystery that we know is down the road for us. So eventually two different mysteries get worked out over the course of the show,” Mundy explained. “It was less of a whodunnit as much as like, what happened and why? We think of this as a relationship show between John and Hal, and there’s a lot to unpack over the course of the eight episodes.”

The ten-year gap between those timelines is significant — the events of DC Studios’ Superman will have taken place within it. And Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, described by Mundy as “fabulously obnoxious,” will appear “a few different times” across the series. Other Green Lanterns from the mythology get referenced, but won’t be showing up in person this season.

One of the more intriguing threads Mundy teased involves Ulrich Thomsen’s Sinestro, who trained Hal — who is now training John. That coaching tree, and what gets passed down through it (good and bad), is a central preoccupation of the show. “What did Hal take away from Sinestro that was good or bad? It brings up a lot of interesting worries,” Mundy said, carefully leaving open whether Sinestro will function as a straightforward villain or something more complicated.

Grounded, But Still Very Green

One criticism that surfaced after the first teaser was that it wasn’t green enough — not enough of the visual spectacle fans associate with Green Lantern. Mundy addressed it directly: “We could have put out a trailer that was tremendously green. So the fact that people are talking about it just means, to me, that they’re excited about the show. We have a lot of respect for the source material, otherwise we wouldn’t be doing this show. I think when people see it, it won’t be a controversy.”

The show’s aesthetic is intentionally grounded — shot practically on location rather than on green screen stages — but Mundy was clear that the constructs will be exactly what fans expect. “It’s a Green Lantern show, so there’s green,” he said. “Green Lantern fans will not feel like we’ve somehow made a brown show of their green comic at all.”

Director James Hawes, speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, pushed back a little on the True Detective comparisons that have followed the show since its announcement. “It is, in many ways, a buddy cop structure with travel in the story time, to and fro, that is really sophisticated,” he said. “I would also bring in ‘No Country for Old Men,’ ‘Fargo,’ and things that have that Americana heart to them. There’s a wry humor, and so there definitely is more wit and humor than there is in ‘True Detective.'”

Hawes was equally enthusiastic about Pierre, who he said won the role in the room. “He has such a magnificent presence. He feels so forceful, so cool, so understated,” the director said. Mundy echoed that in a separate interview with Men’s Health, describing what makes Pierre’s John Stewart so compelling: “He’s big. He’s an intimidating presence just physically. But there’s a softness to him, too. There’s a thoughtfulness. You can’t teach that.”

Linney’s Impressive Track Record

Whoever Linney is playing, she brings serious weight to the role. Best known to TV audiences as Wendy Byrde across all four seasons of Netflix’s Ozark — a performance that earned her three Emmy nominations for drama actress alone — Linney has also won Emmys for Wild Iris, The Big C, and the HBO miniseries John Adams. She’s a three-time Oscar nominee for You Can Count on Me, Kinsey, and The Savages. She most recently appeared opposite Kevin Kline in the MGM+ series American Classic.

Her track record with prestige television — particularly HBO — makes the casting feel like a statement. This is not a cameo. This is a character who matters.

Lanterns premieres August 16 on HBO and Max. The full cast also includes Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Jason Ritter, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Jasmine Cephas Jones.

“Then go and get it, John Stewart.” Whoever she’s playing, Linney already sounds like someone you don’t argue with.

The post Laura Linney Joins Lanterns — Is She Carol Ferris? appeared first on Cream.

• Matt Reeves confirmed Scarlett Johansson is joining The Batman: Part II as Gilda Dent via a haunting GIF on X
• Sebastian Stan will play Harvey Dent, the DA who becomes Two-Face, and says the film will “surprise a lot of people”
• Six returning cast members were also confirmed: Pattinson, Wright, Serkis, Farrell, Lawson, and Perez-Abraham
• The full ensemble now includes Charles Dance, Barry Keoghan, and Jeffrey Wright alongside the new additions
• The Batman: Part II is set for release on October 1, 2027, with production now underway in London

Matt Reeves is done keeping secrets. After years of near-silence on The Batman: Part II, the director has spent the last few days turning his X account into a casting announcement machine — and the biggest names he’s dropped so far are Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan.

Reeves kicked things off by posting a moody GIF of Johansson from her 2013 sci-fi thriller Under the Skin, her face reflected in a car’s rearview mirror as shadows fall across her and blurred lights streak past. The caption: “Next exit, Gotham… Welcome.” It’s spare, atmospheric, and very on-brand for the filmmaker who turned Gotham City into a rain-soaked fever dream in 2022. The GIF didn’t name her character, but multiple outlets have confirmed Johansson will play Gilda Dent — wife of District Attorney Harvey Dent and a character with deep roots in Batman lore.

https://x.com/mattreevesLA/status/2054961650416189704

Stan’s welcome came shortly after, with Reeves confirming the Thunderbolts* star is in a “Gotham state of mind.” He’ll play Harvey Dent himself — the idealistic DA whose tragic transformation into the coin-flipping villain Two-Face is one of the most iconic arcs in the Batman universe. The last time we saw Dent on the big screen was Aaron Eckhart’s version in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight back in 2008. Stan’s take promises to be something different.

Speaking to Deadline from the Cannes Film Festival, where he’s promoting his film Fjord, Stan didn’t hold back on his excitement. “It’s going to blow people away. It’s going to surprise a lot of people, I think, too,” he said. He called the film “a really ambitious movie” and a “challenge, like everything else,” adding that working with Reeves has been a long-held dream. “He’s been one of my favorites for a long, long time.”

Who Is Gilda Dent — and Why Does She Matter?

For casual fans, Gilda Dent might be a new name. For comics readers, she’s anything but. In Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s beloved Batman: The Long Halloween — widely considered one of the greatest Batman stories ever told — Gilda is at the center of Harvey’s world as Gotham starts to crumble around him. She watches her husband get pulled deeper into the city’s darkness, and her own role in the story takes a turn that reframes everything. Reeves has mined The Long Halloween before; the first film borrowed its serial-killer-mystery structure directly from that source material. Going deeper into Gilda’s story for the sequel feels like a natural, and potentially devastating, extension of that.

Johansson, who spent over a decade in the MCU as Black Widow, was first reported to be in final negotiations for the role back in December. She was expected to complete work on The Exorcist before heading to the Batman set. Now it’s official.

Charles Dance rounds out the Dent family as Christopher Dent, Harvey’s father — a casting detail that adds another layer of intrigue to what’s shaping up to be a very family-focused sequel.

The Full Cast Is Taking Shape

The day before the Johansson and Stan reveals, Reeves had already been busy — posting GIFs to confirm six returning cast members. Robert Pattinson is back as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Jeffrey Wright returns as Jim Gordon, Andy Serkis is back as Alfred (who took quite the beating in the first film), and Colin Farrell reprises Oz Cobb/The Penguin, fresh off his acclaimed run in HBO’s The Penguin series. Rounding out the returning players are Jayme Lawson as mayor Bella Réal and Gil Perez-Abraham as Officer Martinez — two characters whose returns will have fans of the first film quietly pumped.

Barry Keoghan is also expected to return as The Joker, though Reeves hasn’t officially posted his confirmation yet.

The full confirmed cast now stands at: Robert Pattinson, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, Jeffrey Wright, Charles Dance, Barry Keoghan, Jayme Lawson, and Gil Perez-Abraham. The script, co-written by Reeves and Mattson Tomlin, is being kept tightly under wraps.

What We Know (and What We’re Guessing) About the Story

Plot details are locked down hard, but the casting itself tells a story. Reports suggest the film will center on Batman, Harvey Dent, and Commissioner Gordon forming an uneasy alliance to hunt a serial killer while also taking on Gotham’s entrenched crime families — a structure that draws heavily from The Long Halloween. Two-Face, Hush, a Holiday Killer, and Phantasm have all been floated as potential villains. The film’s working title, “Semper Vigilans,” has also set off speculation about the Court of Owls entering the picture.

Then there’s Pattinson, who told an interviewer earlier this year that the sequel will be a “really different type of Batman movie” — which is saying something, given how different the first one already was. “The script is so good,” he said. “Hopefully, people will be really pleasantly surprised by it.”

Reeves recently confirmed the film has a wintery setting — that snowy Batmobile photo that broke the internet a few weeks ago wasn’t just aesthetic flex — which has some corners of the fandom whispering about Mr. Freeze. Whether that pans out or not, the vibe is clear: Reeves is building something colder, darker, and more complicated than what came before.

Production is now officially underway in London. The Batman: Part II opens in theaters on October 1, 2027. And if Sebastian Stan’s confidence is any indicator, the wait is going to be worth it.

The post The Batman: Part II Confirms Johansson, Stan and More appeared first on Cream.

• Director Craig Gillespie confirms Supergirl will run approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes with credits
• That makes it roughly 20 minutes shorter than Superman, the DCU’s previous release
• Gillespie says the film is nearly finished — effects are wrapping and the final sound mix is done
• Jason Momoa’s Lobo is confirmed to “stay very true to the comic book,” with electric chemistry with Milly Alcock
• Gillespie declined to tease a post-credits scene, saying only: “I can’t tease that, sorry”

Craig Gillespie just answered one of the bigger questions hanging over Supergirl — and honestly, the answer is a relief. In a new interview with Collider, the I, Tonya director confirmed that his upcoming DCU film will clock in at approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes with credits. That’s lean by superhero movie standards, and for a film carrying this much weight as only the second entry in James Gunn’s newly formed DC Universe, it feels like exactly the right call.

“I feel really great about it. I’m very excited for everybody to see it,” Gillespie said, adding that the team is in the “final stages getting all the effects done” and just completed the final sound mix. “We’re basically at the finish line,” he said — which tracks, given Supergirl hits theaters on June 26.

The confirmed runtime puts Milly Alcock’s solo outing about 20 minutes shorter than David Corenswet’s Superman, which ran 2 hours and 10 minutes when it opened to strong box office numbers in July 2025. Whether Supergirl holds the title of shortest DCU film will depend on Clayface, which arrives October 23 — but for now, Gillespie’s film is keeping things tight.

There’s a real argument to be made that this is the smartest move the production could have made. Kara Zor-El is still a relatively new face to mainstream audiences — Alcock introduced the character in a cameo during Superman — and asking casual viewers to sit through a sprawling two-and-a-half-hour origin story for someone they’ve only glimpsed once would have been a gamble. Bloated runtimes have hurt comic book films before. A tighter movie that earns its ending is almost always the better bet.

Lobo, Krypto, and the Cast Gillespie Can’t Stop Raving About

Beyond the runtime, Gillespie had plenty to say about what’s actually in the film. Jason Momoa’s Lobo — one of the most anticipated elements of the project — came together during production in a way the director clearly didn’t take for granted. “When you see those two go at it in a scene together, it’s just electric,” Gillespie said of Alcock and Momoa’s dynamic on screen. He noted that Momoa joined the production about two months in, and confirmed that the character “stays very true to the comic book” — welcome news for fans of the DC antihero who have waited a long time to see him done right.

DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran previously shed light on just how enthusiastic Momoa was about landing the role. “He was talking about it when he was doing Aquaman with me,” Safran recalled. “He was talking about, ‘I’d rather be doing Lobo.’ But when the day was announced that we got this job [leading DC], he texted both of us, all caps, ‘LOBO,’ 10 exclamation marks. That was it… And a few Xs.” Safran called him “such a volunteer and not a recruit” — and it sounds like that energy translated directly to the screen.

The film’s full cast also includes Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, and — yes — Krypto the dog, who appears to be in some genuine peril based on what the trailers have shown. The screenplay was written by Ana Nogueira, adapting Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s acclaimed eight-issue comic run from 2021 to 2022.

No Post-Credits Hints — But the Speculation Is Already Loud

One thing Gillespie wouldn’t budge on: any hint about a post-credits scene. When pressed, he was blunt. “I can’t tease that, sorry.” The non-answer is, of course, its own kind of tease. There’s been significant speculation that the scene could set up Man of Tomorrow, the next chapter in the DCU’s ongoing Superman story, though nothing has been confirmed.

It’s also worth noting that Supergirl represents something of a new chapter for DC Studios beyond just the story itself. Unlike every previous DCU title — Creature Commandos, Peacemaker Season 2, and Superman — this is the first project that Gunn neither wrote nor directed. He’s overseen it, but Gillespie is genuinely at the helm with Nogueira’s script. How audiences respond to a DCU film without Gunn’s direct creative fingerprints all over it will be one of the more interesting storylines heading into the summer.

The trailers have drawn largely positive reactions, even if some viewers have noted stylistic similarities to Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy work — make of that what you will.

Supergirl opens in theaters worldwide on June 26.

The post Supergirl Runtime Confirmed — And It’s a Good Sign appeared first on Cream.