Is Aaron Pierre The Next Franchise Mega-Star?

I’m thrilled that M. Night Shyamalan is still making movies the way he wants. Even when I don’t like something he’s made, I can still appreciate what he’s doing (or trying to do). Even a movie like Old, which I didn’t particularly like, had its moments. For example, the beach-set horror flick features a rapper named Mid-Sized Sedan, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love that name. The actor playing him? I honestly barely gave him a second glance.

That’s not a knock (at the cabin) on Aaron Pierre. His feature film debut just did not give him much to work with. But he has found plenty to sink his teeth into elsewhere. He appeared in Barry Jenkins’ epic miniseries The Underground Railroad. Pierre actually starred in the short-lived DC series Krypton. But I first really saw him cook, as the children say, in Rebel Ridge.

I’ll admit that I was dismissive of the Jeremy Saulnier thriller when the trailers first dropped. It looked like a First Blood clone. But the film differentiates itself in a pivotal way that I found very exciting. Rebel Ridge also has the benefit of giving Aaron Pierre as much screen time as possible, giving him a protagonist turn that is cool, quiet, thoughtful, and engaging. It’s exactly the kind of thing franchise-makers look for, and they quickly took notice.

Pierre was cast as John Stewart (one of many Green Lanterns) in James Gunn’s DCU, and, in addition to being a great choice, it has the potential to have him play a big role in Gunn’s universe. While he is starting on the small screen, we could easily see him jump to the films, be it as a member of the Justice League (or Gang) or in a Green Lantern movie (if that ever happens again). He could be a big part of DC’s cosmic plans, but he’s also jumping to another galaxy.

It was announced that Amy Adams will be joining the Shawn Levy-directed Ryan Gosling-starring Star Wars film currently known as Starfighter. Pierre was also included in that announcement. Details are still scarce, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t have further plans for the actor. The movie will pick up after Rise of Skywalker, a movie I’ve been told definitely exists (I’ll take people’s word for it), so it could lay the foundation for future flicks. Snagging the ever-rising Pierre could be a huge boon.

Disney already put a lot of faith in the actor when they cast him as Mufasa in that movie Mufasa. They dug their hooks in, and now, they’ve got him in a Star Wars. But I’m sure Gunn and his partner, Peter Safran, are just as eager to make Pierre a key part of their universe. Given that he has signed with both, he could be on the way to being a franchise mega-star who continues to rise over the next decade. I’m sure as hell looking forward to it.