Years After the Abysmal Ryan Reynolds ‘Green Lantern,’ Latest DCU Project Still Raises Dire Concerns

In the summer of 2011, when the Avengers had not assembled yet and Ryan Reynolds was still chasing his Deadpool dream from the wreckage of that Wolverine prequel, Warner Bros. Pictures introduced Green Lantern in the ever-expanding superhero world. Though the film had many reasons to fail at the box office, the new James Gunn-led DCU is not ready to let go of the character just yet. 

Gunn is bringing the hero back with a new project, but warning signs have already begun to appear well before the big debut. 

The Green Lantern DCU show is already sending up red flags

The upcoming DCU Studios series, Lanterns, based on the superhero Green Lantern and currently in the works at HBO, has been officially announced. As James Gunn has confirmed, the project has been reimagined to focus on Hal Jordan and John Stewart as part of the newly interconnected DCU. But the biggest red flag waving in plain sight is that the entire show is set on Earth- or as Gunn called it on social media, “a terrestrial-based mystery“. This approach does not make much sense, given that Green Lanterns are, at their core, space cops.

Green Lanterns are supposed to tackle cosmic-level threats- like rogue planets, black holes, or entities like Parallax. Limiting the story to Earth might drain the grandeur their battles are meant to carry. Besides, Earth already has its hands full with the likes of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Keeping the Lanterns grounded here might lead to some serious overlap. But maybe that is exactly what Gunn wants. 

James Gunn’s first film in the resurrected DC, Superman, will reportedly weave the Lanterns in a really interesting way. 

James Gunn ties Green Lantern into the Superman storyline

James Gunn is known for picking up lesser-known characters and turning them into a brand. While his Superman film will feature the usual cast of Superman lore, it will also feature other superheroes, and some lesser-known figures. These unpopular characters would provide the makers more room to maneuver since most outside the comic book circle have little clue who these characters are. There should be Hawkgirl, Mr. Terrific, Metamorpho, and notably, a Green Lantern- but not the Lanterns show’s Hal Jordan or John Stewart. 

Instead, the Superman movie would see Guy Gardner as Green Lantern. Having Guy Gardner in it will be quite interesting, especially with Hal Jordan and John Stewart already lined up for Lanterns. It makes people wonder how these stories will connect. Nonetheless, this style shows just how open the new DC slate is to fresh, creative spins, rather than sticking to the worn-out superhero playbook. 

What do you think about the upcoming Lanterns show? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!