We can’t be more thrilled by actor Aaron Pierre‘s recent ascension in Hollywood as he’s now leading the high-profile comic book series “Lanterns” and had nearly joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe when he was cast in their “Blade” reboot. Speaking with Men’s Health Magazine, Pierre talked about learning the “disappointing” news about having to leave Marvel’s “Blade” reboot during the filming of Jeremy Saulnier‘s hardboiled Netflix crooked cop thriller “Rebel Ridge.”
“I remember being cast in ‘Blade’ and feeling elated. But something I learned during that time was that until you step foot on the set, you haven’t commenced work,’ Pierre said of his experience being cast by Marvel. “It just took a different creative direction, and I was no longer a part of it. You have to accept that.”
Disappointing isn’t the half of it, as Pierre, unlike most MCU actors, actually has a training background expericing the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program for “Rebel” alongside boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (Wesley Snipes, the original franchise actor also had martial arts training that helped inform the films, that were directly inspired by the legacy of Hong Kong action films and wirework) that could have been greatly utilized in the action horror flick. Then again, maybe he’ll get a call from Kevin Feige if Mahershala Ali ultimately decides to exit the Eric Brooks role, as Pierre wouldn’t be the worst actor to replace Ali (knock on wood, since the original comic book version of Blade happens to be British).
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The irony here is that the exit from “Blade” and his well-received performance in the Netflix pic both helped him land the John Stewart role, a beloved Green Lantern first introduced in 1971, appearing as Stewart in the upcoming DC Studios/HBO series “Lanterns,” where he co-stars with Kyle Chandler (playing a new mentor version of Hal Jordan, a role that had been inhabited unsucessfully by Ryan Reynolds) and has acclaimed TV writer Chris Mundy (“Ozark,” “True Detective,” “Bloodline”) showrunning it.
Men’s Health also spoke with Mundy, who said the following about the DC series and praised Pierre in the show that is “as much of a buddy cop show as a superhero show.”
Hinting toward the mentor relationship going on between Jordan and Stewart, Mudy said, “Our show is in a lot of ways about replacement, when should someone step aside, and when is it time for the next person to take the reins? That push and pull between those two characters is really important. So much of the power that John has is by not taking the bait, understanding that you lose your power if you’re yelling and screaming. That’s what we’re trying to convey: He knows he belongs, so he doesn’t have to overcompensate. There’s a real balance there that’s just innately inside of Aaron. 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.”
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“For me, the character [John Stewart] just radiates strength and fortitude,” Pierre told the outlet about playing the DC hero. “That hunger to be the best version of yourself, which also holds you accountable when you’re not.”
“Aaron felt a responsibility, especially as a Black man playing this particular role, to make sure he really understood him and brought him to life,” Mundy continued with his praise of the British actor and teasing that fans should be happy with the results. “I think fans will see the reverence he has for it, and that goes a long way.”
Whatever happens next with “Lanterns” (there is an assumption Pierre’s Stewart could show up in DC features like “Man of Tomorrow” or “Supergirl“), Shawn Levy’s “Star Wars: Starfighter,” and his buzzy romantic drama “Love of Your Life,” the future looks super bright for Pierre.
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