A while back ago, DC Studios CEO James Gunn dropped a major bombshell of an announcement on the DC Universe (DCU) community. As part of his 8 to 10-year plan for the franchise, he announced 5 new films and 5 new TV series that Warner Bros. Discovery are currently developing. Among the 5 new TV shows, Gunn confirmed one revolving around DC’s most iconic team of intergalactic space cops, the Green Lanterns, called “Lanterns”. In 2020, HBO Max also announced that a “Green Lantern” series was in development but not much has been updated since. In fact, we were getting worried that with the new shake-ups at DC Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery that the series would be scrapped altogether.
Thankfully, Gunn and company have decided to go forward with the series while adding some exciting new details as well. He’s also promised that the series will not just be a neat, little side-project but that the events in the show will have major ramifications for the wider DCU. So get your ring and read your oath because we’re breaking down the story, characters and potential secret villain in the DCU’s “Lanterns”!
Who are the Green Lanterns?
For those who may have forgotten Ryan Reynold’s awful “Green Lantern” film, hopefully so, here’s a refresher about everything you need to know about the Green Lantern Corp. The Green Lantern Corp is an intergalactic peace-keeping organisation with each member given an insanely powerful weapon, their Green Lantern Ring. The rings give their wielders the power to create forcefields, shoot concussive energy blasts and, most importantly, create constructs made of hard light. These constructs and their properties are limited only by their users’ imagination. Depending on how skilled a Lantern is, they could create anything from a sword to a giant mecha suit from pure willpower alone.
All Green Lanterns draw their power from a central power battery on the planet Oa and answer to a group of little blue people called the Guardians of the Universe. Okay, so this is the weird but also really interesting part. Within all life in the universe is something called the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum, an energy source that is shared by all sentient life in the universe. The Green Lantern Rings and battery are powered by willpower, which is represented as the colour green in the spectrum. There are other colours that represent other aspects of life such as fear, hope, and life, but we’ll discuss that later. So, when the ring notices that there’s a living creature who is brave, noble and possesses a strong will, they are chosen to become a Green Lantern.
Each Green Lantern is assigned a different sector within the universe to govern, Earth lies in Sector 2814. Among all the Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan of Sector 2814 is considered the greatest among them all. A former military test pilot who rises through the ranks to become the leader of the entire corps. He’s one of the main characters of the upcoming “Lanterns” series. Joining him is another member of the corps, the one fans of Bruce Timm’s “Justice League” animated series would recognise, John Stewart. He’s a former U.S. Marine and a key member of the Justice League.
Gunn also mentions that there are a few other Lanterns “peppered” in the series. Other Earth-based Green Lanterns that could be included in the series are characters like Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, Kyle Rayner and everyone’s favourite red-headed loudmouth Guy Gardner. One Green Lantern that we’re fairly certain will appear in the series either in a cameo or in a supporting role is Jordan’s friend and mentor, Kilowog. It wouldn’t be a Green Lantern series without Hal being called a poozer, would it?
A Dark Detective Story
While stories of Green Lantern Corps typically deal with members visiting and policing various, exotic locations in far-off galaxies, the story of “Lanterns” is mostly situated on Earth. According to James Gunn, the series will mirror the tone and style of HBO’s dark and gritty “True Detective” series. This was also echoed by co-Ceo Peter Safran. Safran also went on to say that the series “plays a really big role leading us into the main story that we’re telling across our film and television”. Gunn in his video announcement mentions that both Hal Jordan and John Stewart are set to discover a “terrifying mystery that ties into our larger story of the DCU”.
Much like how “Loki” is key to understanding “The Multiverse Saga” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it seems that “Lanterns” will reveal a key element of where Chapter 1 of the DCU is heading. Based on the fact that the story of “Lanterns” takes place on Earth and involves a terrifying mystery, we predict that the main villain of the series is the death-worshipping, necrophile William Hand, better known as the Black Hand. The Black Hand is a serial killer who would go on to create the Black Lantern Corps and unleash one of the greatest crises in the history of the DC Universe, the Blackest Night. “Lanterns” will most probably revolve around Hal Jordan and John Stewart uncovering a deadly conspiracy after a series of mysterious deaths on Earth. One that leads them to discover and stop the Black Hand’s rampage.
Night Falls Over The DCU
During a major crossover event called “Blackest Night”, Black Hand manages to unleash a being that represents death itself into the physical world. Within the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum, there are different entities or “gods” that embody different emotions or aspects of life. The being that embodies the concept of death within that spectrum is Nekron, the Lord of the Unliving. Alongside his servant Black Hand, Nekron would attempt to bring death to all life within the DC Universe by creating zombified puppets of our beloved heroes and villains.
At some point, Nekron even manages to possess nearly every member of the Justice League and Green Lantern Corps. It was only through Hal Jordan and his team comprised of various other Lantern Corps did they manage to defeat Nekron. The Blackest Night crossover event involves characters from all over the DC Universe joining forces to defeat their common enemy, death. Can you imagine a cinematic version of the event with Hal Jordan going up against a zombified Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman? Now that would be insanely cool!
As fans of Geoff Johns’s Green Lantern saga, we’re absolutely ecstatic that his stories are finally getting the full HBO treatment. If shows like “Peacemaker” and “The Last of Us” are any indication of production quality, then we can expect the Green Lantern’s light to shine bright on the network! Stay tuned for more news about the “Lanterns” and all things DCU.
