In 'Lanterns,' Poorna Jagannathan takes another turn as a TV baddie: The Manhunter

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Set us as preferred Poorna Jagannathan has played everything from a ruthless gangster (“Deli Boys”) to an overbearing immigrant mom (“Never Have I Ever”).Now with HBO’s “Lanterns,” she adds an all-powerful galactic android to her acting resume.Her character’s identity was a secret for much of HBO’s DC Comics series until a reveal in Episode 4 that a rancher’s trophy wife, Zoe Macon (Jagannathan), was, in fact, the deadly Manhunter.

Then another great surprise rocked the “Lanterns” universe Sunday when in Episode 5, she is killed by Lantern trainee, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre).“She is dead, for sure.Maybe …” teases Jagannathan, who had to take a crash course in Green Lantern lore before assuming the role in the eight-episode series from showrunner and co-creator Chris Mundy (“Hell on Wheels,” “True Detective,” “Ozark”).Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler star in the latest DC Studios series on HBO, playing a pair of intergalactic detectives who work for the Green Lantern Corps.Jagannathan’s character belongs to an ancient, shape-shifting race created by the Guardians of the Universe as the galaxy’s first police force, but they’ve since gone rogue and are now out to eliminate the human race.

Green lanterns are interstellar peacekeepers who wear rings that give them extraordinary powers.When veteran Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and his mentee Stewart are tasked with solving a murder in rural Nebraska, they trip upon a great mystery that included ferreting out which resident in the small town of Rushville is the Manhunter.The series has been lauded for elevating the superhero genre while presenting as a gritty crime drama.

In this edited conversation, Jagannathan explains the demise of the Manhunter, how she morphed into a comic book villain for the role and what it’s like to f...