I can't wait for the start of the new DC Universe, and Lanterns is the franchise's best possible show to fix a past movie's mistakes, making it my most anticipated DC series. While I enjoyed a few entries of the old DCEU, I was never the biggest fan of the franchise. The cinematic universe was not as comic book-accurate or vibrant as I would have hoped, and pretty much all DCEU movies faced some sort of controversy. At the time, the shared DC universe that I focused my attention on was the Arrowverse, which found success by doing things differently.
While the Arrowverse also took liberties with comic book canon, the shared universe knew how to balance fun and drama far better than the DCEU. After following multiple DC series for years, I have grown to love the medium, which allows for long-form storytelling that works best for a number of DC heroes and stories. I'm happy that the DCU's Chapter One and beyond will focus equally on movies and TV, which should make the shared universe a well-rounded franchise. With multiple DCU series already announced, there is one that excites me the most.
With James Gunn announcing that he is working on a TV series following Hal Jordan and John Stewart, here's everything you need to know about Lanterns.
I am a big fan of the Green Lantern corner of the DC universe. When I first got into the New 52 era of DC Comics, I decided to go about reading all the books in a superhero "family." I ended up starting with the Green Lantern corner of the franchise, learning all about the entire spectrum of colors that make up all of DC's Lanterns. By the end of the books, I saw how much potential there was in the Green Lantern side of things, with plenty of cosmic and Earth-bound adventures to be had.
Enter Lanterns, with the DCU making a statement that the Corps will be important for the new universe from the start. While I think the Green Lantern characters are made for the big screen due to the nature of their powers and cosmic stories, which need the visuals that big-screen superhero productions allow, I have realized the power that exists in spending more time building up these characters in a series first. The Green Lanterns will be part of the DCU from the start, and getting to know more about the Corps and two specific heroes is great news.
My two favorite Green Lanterns are Hal Jordan and John Stewart, and with Lanterns set to follow both of them, the DCU series speaks directly to me. Add the fact that the show has some of the best creatives in the franchise working on it, and I can only become more intrigued with every newly released detail. Lanterns was co-created by Chris Mundy (True Detective), Damon Lindelof (Watchmen), and DC Comics writer Tom King. Having recently started watching Mundy's Ozark and Lindelof's The Leftovers, as well as loving every DC book written by King, I'm thrilled with Lanterns' creative team.
Arrow star Stephen Amell has commented on joining James Gunn's DC Universe, and there are both major and obscure characters he would be great for.
So far, the only movie from that corner of DC Comics was 2011's Green Lantern. To this day, the movie has not been forgotten, but not for the right reasons. Green Lantern ended up becoming one of the most disappointing superhero movies of all time, only reaching a total of $220 million worldwide on a $200 million budget, which means it lost a massive amount of money when marketing and other costs were added to the equation. The reason for that was the many problems the movie had, which not even star Ryan Reynolds could solve.
In fact, Reynolds has made fun of his time as Hal Jordan over the years in his more successful superhero franchise, Deadpool. Green Lantern's story ended up being rushed in parts and boring when it should have been exciting. The OA scenes failed to spark excitement, the villain was not properly developed, and Reynolds' Hal Jordan didn't quite resemble the epic comic book hero, save for a few beats. Add the movie's use of CGI, which looked bad in quite a few moments and led to the infamous Green Lantern suit, and the film failed Hal Jordan.
Lanterns will be the first live-action Green Lantern property since the 2011 film, and is already set up to succeed where the movie failed.
Hal Jordan is my favorite Green Lantern, so I was quite disappointed by Reynolds' DC film. Thankfully, it seems like Lanterns will be treating the character like he deserves, making Hal a respected hero in the universe. The reason for that is the official description of the upcoming DCU series, which follows "new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan into a dark, earth-based mystery." Hal Jordan has time and again saved the Green Lantern Corps and the universe with his willpower, so having him be a legend in the DCU is exciting.
Hal Jordan should indeed be a hero others look up to, and that description could make some interesting fancasts more possible. Being a "Lantern legend" and with a young John Stewart tagging along, I think the DCU's Hal could be on the older side. I was initially thrown off when the 53-year-old Nathan Fillion was cast as Guy Gardner, who is supposed to be younger than Hal in the comics. However, if Lanterns establishes that Hal started in the Green Lantern Corps before Guy and is an experienced hero, then I would be okay with Gardner's age.
Tom Cruise has said that he is open to superhero roles, and a new update makes his best possible character in the new DC Universe more likely.
The Green Lantern lore is perfect to enrich the DCU. Sadly, the DCEU never tapped on the potential of the franchise, with nothing more than a Green Lantern cameo in Justice League. I want the DCU to make the Green Lantern Corps an important part of the franchise, with Earth-bound stories like the murder investigation that serves as the basis for Lanterns and cosmic-set adventures in future DCU projects. The new DC Universe has everything it needs to leave a bad movie and a DCEU cameo in the past in order to build something more exciting.
While it has been confirmed that Nathan Fillion plays Guy Gardner in Superman, the first DCU movie might have a secret second Green Lantern.
Before Lanterns, Nathan Fillion will play the DCU's first Green Lantern, Guy Gardner, in James Gunn's Superman. The 2025 movie could also feature another Green Lantern, as Superman set photos hint that Ch'p, the squirrel-like Green Lantern, could make a surprise appearance. With Hal Jordan and John Stewart leading Lanterns, it seems like DC will be tapping into the full potential of the Corps. I want to see other human Green Lanterns like Kyle Rayner and Jessica Cruz, as well as the other colors of the spectrum, and Lanterns could set up that lore for years to come.
Upcoming DC Movies | Release Date |
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October 4, 2024 | |
July 11, 2025 | |
June 26, 2026 | |
October 2, 2026 |