Highlights
- James Gunn & Peter Safran leading DCU with upcoming Superman, Supergirl, & The Authority films.
- Green Lantern Corps series to feature Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, avoiding need for origin story.
- “War of the Green Lanterns” storyline could bring dynamic change to Lanterns series, exploring DCU cosmos.
If one fandom eagerly awaits the development of its cinematic universe, it would have to be DC Comics fans. After attempts to create such a universe through Zack Synder’s Man of Steel, Justice League, and more, that branch of the DC Universe collapsed, leaving only a couple of projects possibly tied to the grander and more developed DCU as a whole.
Being led by the creative vision of James Gunn and Peter Safran, the DCU is set to include the upcoming Superman film led by David Corenswet, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow led by actress Milly Alcock, and a film based on the infamous team The Authority. There are so many DC Comics-inspired projects in the works, both as part of the DC Elseworlds label and the projects that fit into the DCU shared universe. One such project is Lanterns, depicting the police force of the known and unknown universe, the Green Lantern Corps.
There are many unknowns about this project, including how long the series will be, whether it will be a recurring series or limited, and even who is starring in it. The only known Green Lantern cast in the DCU so far is Nathan Fillion, who will portray Guy Gardner. This leaves fans with many questions and no answers. The stories and crossovers that the Green Lantern Corps are responsible for or directly tied to are incredible. They would fit perfectly into the story labeled by Gunn and Safron as “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters”. It’s time to see what fans should hope to see in the upcoming DCU Lanterns series.
The Green Lantern Corps, EXPLAINED
Any DC Comics fan with a passion for the cosmic side of the universe knows the infamous Green Lantern Corps oath. It’s as beloved as the Jedi or Sith Codes for Star Wars fans. “In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night, No Evil Shall Escape My Sight. Let Those Who Worship Evil Might Beware My Power, Green Lantern’s Light!” The Green Lantern Corps was one of the creations made by the Guardians of the Universe. These immortal alien beings created the Green Lantern Power Rings, sent to beings who display great courage in the face of fear and assigned a Lantern to each sector of space. The rings that the Lantern use are powerful weapons that can create hard-light constructs using the wielder’s will. The home of the Green Lanterns has changed over the years, but most prominently it has been the planet Oa.
Earth’s first Green Lantern (for the Green Lantern Corp) was Hal Jordan, the ace combat pilot who sought to push himself past the limits. As each ring wielder who has lost their lives in battle falls, their ring chooses the next individual to take possession of the ring and become the new Green Lantern. Much like the other heroes of Earth, Hal Jordan would not be the last human to earn a Green Lantern ring, with heroes like Kyler Rayner, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz being among some of the human ring bearers to save the galaxy time and time again.
Guy Gardner Joins the DCU
One confirmed Green Lantern already joining the DCU is Guy Gardner. Set to be played by Nathan Fillion, Guy is one of the more unique Lanterns, often portrayed as a self-assured, almost cocky and at time rageful hero. Yet despite that, fans know that Guy’s background is marred by years of abuse at the hands of his alcoholic father, leading to a lifetime of trying to live up to his father’s approval (or lack thereof), and after an injury ends a promising athletic career, he works as a social worker, which threatens to spark up his lingering rage from his childhood.
While not much is known about what Guy’s role in the upcoming Superman film will be, one thing that Guy’s appearance in the film points to is an already established Green Lantern lore. The upcoming Lanterns series should not have to go through the origin story of Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern again, which was already explored in the controversial Ryan Reynolds version of the hero in 2011. Instead, the show should focus on the growth and bigger scale storylines with an already established Green Lantern Corps.
War of the Green Lanterns
One key story from the Green Lantern Corps that could be vital to the formation of the heroes in Lanterns is War of the Green Lanterns. This pivotal storyline featured Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, and the Guardian Ganthet, as the majority of the Corps were mind controlled and their ancient foe, the exiled Guardian of the Universe Króna, led an attack on the Corps. This storyline would drastically change the dynamics of the Corps as a whole, as each Lantern had to find and embrace a different Lantern ring, from the rageful Red Lanterns to the Orange ring of Avarice, and more, to take on the mind-controlled Lanterns and Guardians, including the planet-sized Green Lantern Mogo.
Adapting such a large story would fit perfectly into the Lanterns series, playing out across the series and exploring many different facets of the DCU cosmos. The study of the emotional spectrum as a whole and the history of the Guardians of the Universe through the villain Kronos would be a great way of exploring the Lantern mythology without repeating the same story or mistakes of the past live-action Green Lantern project. The DCU’s first chapter, “Gods and Monsters,” would be perfect to see the Lantern’s true power emerge.
Leave a Reply