The DC Universe expands further into the cosmos this month with the addition of “Lanterns”.
Created by Chris Mundy, Tom King and Damon Lindelof, the superhero show sees the veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan (played by Kyle Chandler) take rookie John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) under his wing. Wider parts of the Green Lantern Corps lore are incorporated in the story too, as the series unpacks what the famous space cops are all about.
At the same time, let’s be real here for a second: for anybody who hasn’t kept track of all the DC reboots, Infinite Crises on Corporate Earths and Ryan Reynolds in a green CGI costume, it can become overwhelming to even think about the Green Lantern mythology.
There are many heroes and villains scattered across an overly complex timeline, so let’s attempt to break down who’s who in terms of the confirmed characters for the show and what their backstory is from the comics.
Here’s everything you need to know about the characters in HBO’s “Lanterns”
Hal Jordan
First appearance: “Showcase” #22 (1956)
Played by: Kyle Chandler
While not the first Green Lantern introduced by DC (that honour belongs to Alan Scott), Hal Jordan is arguably the most famous of them all. Debuting in the pages of “Showcase” #22, Hal found himself drawn to the spaceship belonging to Abin Sur, the Green Lantern of Sector 2814. The dying alien instructed his power ring to find a worthy successor, and it did in the form of the test pilot known as Hal Jordan.
While known primarily as a hero, Hal had a memorable stint as the villainous Parallax in the ’90s. Hey, it was an edgy era, but at least he didn’t have infinite pockets for his costume and badly drawn feet to go along with it!
Ryan Reynolds played a live-action version of Hal Jordan in the heavily derided 2011 “Green Lantern” movie, but Kyle Chandler’s interpretation in “Lanterns” is a more seasoned and less CGIed version of the character. Interestingly enough, before Chandler was cast in the role, Josh Brolin was linked with the part.
John Stewart
First appearance: “Green Lantern” #87 (1972)
Played by: Aaron Pierre
So here’s the part where DC’s comic book logic tangles itself into knots. When Hal Jordan was selected as the Green Lantern, he received backup in Guy Gardner. After Guy was injured, Hal received a backup for his backup: John Stewart. Introduced as a civil rights activist and architect, John clashed with Hal at first; however, he went on to become the main Green Lantern in the ’80s. After the New 52 reboot, John received another alteration to his backstory; this time, he was a former Marine.
For a generation of fans, John is their Green Lantern, thanks to him being the chosen Emerald Knight for the animated shows “Justice League” and “Justice League Unlimited”. He almost appeared in “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”, where he would have been portrayed by Wayne T. Carr, but the whole debacle around that movie and the Snyder Cut is worthy of its own miniseries.
Aaron Pierre won the role of John Stewart in “Lanterns”, triumphing over names like Damson Idris and Stephan James for the gig. One only needed to watch Netflix’s “Rebel Ridge” to see his take on a former Marine and realise he was born to play John.
Guy Gardner
First appearance: “Green Lantern” #59 (1968)
Played by: Nathan Fillion
Ah, the Green Lantern with the worst haircut in the universe. The origin story of Guy Gardner is actually interesting, despite his questionable barber choices.
In “Green Lantern” #59, it’s revealed that Guy was also a potential contender to be Abin Sur’s heir. The only reason the ring went to Hal Jordan was that he was closer in terms of location. Guy became Hal’s backup and eventually assumed the mantle of Green Lantern.
As a character, Guy is something of a prickly pear. He is prone to outbursts and not exactly a people person. However, his heart is in the right place, and he’ll show up when necessary for others.
Nathan Fillion returns to play Guy Gardner in “Lanterns”, having previously played the character in “Superman” and “Peacemaker” season 2. Oh, and he was all in for Guy’s haircut. “I was team bowl cut the whole way,” he said on the “DC Studios Showcase Official Podcast.” “It’s canon. It’s set.”
Sinestro
First appearance: “Green Lantern” #7 (1961)
Played by: Ulrich Thomsen
Much like other characters in the DC Universe, Thaal Sinestro has experienced changes to his backstory with the various reboots and continuity switch-ups altering his motivations and personality. What does remain consistent is that he’s an alien from the planet Korugar who became a member of the Green Lantern Corps once upon a time. He was highly revered among his peers, but he abused his powers, became a dictator, and received the boot as a consequence of his actions.
Not one to be deterred, Sinestro founded the Sinestro Corps, which uses the yellow light of fear to power it. Naturally, this puts him at odds with the Green Lantern Corps – but Sinestro really really despises the Guardians of the Universe the most here.
In “Lanterns”, Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen plays Sinestro. The first footage of him didn’t exactly inspire fans since he failed to have the reddish-purple skin tone associated with the character from the comics. However, the true outrage should have been about the lack of a wispy moustache. This Sinestro’s muzzle fuzz shares more in common with Mario than anything else.
Manhunters
First appearance: “1st Issue Special” #5 (1975)
Before the Green Lantern Corps, the Guardians of the Universe created the robots known as the Manhunters. Their sole purpose was to fight evil and restore law and order. If this sounds like a potential nightmare out of Sam Altman’s OpenAI playbook, it’s because it is.
While the Manhunters worked well at first, their obsession with catching criminals and inability to define what justice is saw them go rogue. And as you know, once the genie is out of the bottle, it’s tough to put it back in!
At the time of writing, it’s unclear exactly how the Manhunters fit into “Lanterns”, except for the fact that they shapeshift and are dangerous. Their inclusion in the show makes sense, though, since they’re the predecessors to the Green Lantern Corps.
Guardians of the Universe
First appearance: “Green Lantern” #1 (1960)
Want to know who to blame for DC’s multiverse? Well, it’s a rogue Maltusian Krona, who couldn’t help but peek back in time to see how the universe was created. As a result, Krona’s peers decided to band together and form the Guardians of the Universe, an organisation that wants to keep the universe safe from all kinds of threats.
These immortal beings assembled various groups (including the Green Lantern Corps) in an effort to bring about order and peace. Oh, and Sinestro hates them – in case you hadn’t figured that out yet.
As the creators of the Green Lantern Corps, it’s expected they’ll play a role in “Lanterns”. To date, only Laura Linney has been confirmed as one of the Guardians.
On August 16, “Lanterns” wills itself into existence on HBO.
