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Lanterns star Kyle Chandler on episode 5's shock death: 'I couldn't care less'
All hell breaks loose in this week's new chapter – and not everybody lives to tell the tale.
John Johnson/HBO Max
- David Craig
Published: Monday, 14 September 2026 at 3:00 am
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Lanterns episode 5 features the shocking death of a lead character, as the search for Rushville's mystery Manhunter explodes into an epic battle.
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Green Lantern Corps member Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and his protégé John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) first travelled to the close-knit Nebraska town to attend the scene of a shooting.
Hal's hunch that the incident hid an extraterrestrial connection paid off, as Rushville was found to be harbouring a Manhunter; the last survivor of a barbaric, shape-shifting race of aliens.
When their identity was exposed, the Manhunter made a desperate play for survival, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Here's what the Lanterns cast had to say about the big fatality – but be warned, episode 5 spoilers follow!
John Stewart's impromptu lover Zoe (Poorna Jagannathan) was revealed to be the disguised Manhunter in Rushville, having used the status of her attention-seeking partner Will Macon (Garrett Dillahunt) to avoid detection.
Zoe's modus operandi was gaining unwavering loyalty from the local townsfolk, including by curing Will's terminal cancer and rescuing future Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) from dangerous Gotham City gangsters.
She attempted the same trick on John himself, when Hal abandoned him in a fiery car crash. Zoe waited to retrieve him until he'd suffered serious burns, so that she could offer him a skin transplant using her advanced technology.
Of course, the medical aid came with conditions, and for a moment it seemed like John might really betray his curmudgeonly mentor. But ultimately, he stuck to the mission and assassinated Zoe himself via a sniper rifle shot to the head.
Aaron Pierre and Poorna Jagannathan star in Lanterns John Johnson/HBO Max
Despite the Manhunter's presence in Rushville having some advantages for local residents – most notably, the complete absence of any sickness – Chandler felt no sympathy for Zoe's fate in Lanterns episode 5.
He told Radio Times: "I saw the description as not a symbiotic relationship with her in that town. I think of it more parasitically.
"The only reason she's doing what she's doing is so she can keep her safety... She's still a threat and she's still a danger."
Chandler continued: "It's like a really bad guy settling in, saying, 'Hey, I'm gonna hang out here. Don't tell anyone, and until I leave, I'll let you have free dinners'.
"Once she's gone, she's not gonna care about whether [Rushville's citizens] starve or not. So I say the hell with her, and I'm glad she's gone!"
He added: "As a person, I love Poorna – she's great. But as a character... nah, I could care less [for Zoe]. I did my job."
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Co-star Macdonald left a bit more room for debate on Zoe's intentions, telling Radio Times that "nothing's ever truly one thing or another". Nevertheless, her interpretation of Rushville in the Manhunter's thrall was an eerie one.
"Zoe has really made my character a life," said Macdonald. "I think she's found a safe haven. But there was something a bit Stepford Wives about it. This little town has a bubble around it and protection… it all comes at a cost."
John Stewart actor Aaron Pierre praised the writing for leaving room for debate on Zoe's actions – and what should happen to her.
"At no point do you ever feel as though you're being lectured," he told Radio Times. "You feel like you're being invited to have a conversation as an audience member, and I think that's where the best moments exist."
Lanterns is a gritty adaptation of the long-running Green Lantern series from DC Comics, and is set in a shared film and TV universe including 2025's Superman, its upcoming sequel Man of Tomorrow, plus Supergirl and Peacemaker.
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Lanterns is available to stream on HBO Max. New episodes weekly. Subscribe from £5.99 a month.
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Authors
David CraigSenior Drama Writer
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
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