Summary
- Little is known about the DCU TV show Lanterns beyond that it will star Hal Jordan and John Stewart's Green Lanterns
- The show could feature lanterns from other parts of the color spectrum to expand the cosmic side of DC.
- A few characters like Sinestro and Kilowog have already been in live-action movies, but they're due for a comeback as the Green Lantern movie was in 2011.
The Lanterns show isn't just a chance to introduce Hal Jordan and John Stewart but also the wider world of Green Lanterns and its important ing characters. Though Green Lantern has been a mainstay of DC Comics going back to the Silver Age, it wasn't until Green Lantern: Rebirth by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver that DC began to develop a rich tapestry of history and lore surrounding the Green Lanterns and the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum. This led to a lot of memorable characters and storylines that the DCU can draw from.
James Gunn has already proven with Lanterns, audiences can likely expect at least a cameo from characters who are important to the world of Green Lantern.
Genius DC Theory Reveals Why Lanterns Isn't Called GREEN Lanterns
There could be a very important reason why the DCU's Green Lantern series is only called "Lanterns", implying a much bigger story to be told.
10 Kilowog Is Close With Both Green Lanterns
Kilowog Is A Trainer For The Green Lanterns
Kilowog is the stern but lovable drill sergeant for the Green Lantern Corps. Kilowog has trained most of Earth's Green Lanterns in some capacity, meaning he has a close relationship with both Hal Jordan and John Stewart. If Lanterns wants to establish its main characters' connection to the larger Corps, having Kilowog be their main point of would make a lot of sense.
Not only would Kilowog help introduce the idea of the larger Green Lantern Corps, he would also create some fun character moments. His gruff, authoritative side would likely cause him to have some minor conflicts with Hal Jordan, who can be a bit of a loose cannon. Jordan's personality can sometimes come off as less strongly defined than the other human Green Lanterns, so it would be nice to have a good foil like Kilowog around.
9 Sinestro Is One Of Green Lantern's Biggest Foes
Sinestro Was Once A Green Lantern Before Betraying Them
Sinestro is an enemy of all Green Lanterns and has a particularly contentious relationship with Hal Jordan. With the DCU starting after several of Earth's Green Lanterns have their rings, it's safe to assume Sinestro will already have betrayed them and become a Yellow Lantern. Though Sinestro seems like too large of a villain for a show described as a mystery series, it wouldn't be out of the question for him to turn up in some capacity.
Green Lantern comics have shown that Sinestro is sometimes willing to peacefully co-exist with Green Lanterns if it serves his needs. Including an episode where Hal and John have to work with him against their will would be a good way to establish tension between them and Sinestro and set up a future confrontation in the DCU. Sinestro's presence could also help set up the other colors of the Emotional Spectrum.
8 Kyle Rayner Creates The Best Green Lantern Constructs
Kyle Rayner Is An Artist In DC Comics
Though Lanterns is already starring two of Earth's Green Lanterns, it would be nice to get an appearance from one of the others. This would establish who is keeping an eye on Earth while Hal and John are away. Though Guy Gardner has already been cast and seems like an easy choice, Kyle Rayner could make for a slightly more exciting option.
Kyle is an artist in DC Comics, and he consistently uses his imagination to create some of the most visually interesting hard-light constructs of any Green Lantern. Having Kyle in an opening battle to establish the characters and then leave to protect Earth would be a great way to establish what a Green Lantern ring is capable of. Kyle also ends up playing a major role in several Green Lantern stories, so it would be nice to meet him earlier in the DCU before building up to his transformation into Ion or the White Lantern.
7 Tomar-Re Can Be A Mentor To John Stewart
Tomar-Re Is A Highly Respected Green Lantern
Tomar-Re is an older and much-respected member of the Green Lantern Corps. To give an idea of how long he was in the Corps, he was the one in charge of protecting Superman's homeworld of Krypton when it exploded. Tomar-Re also plays a major role in John Stewart's journey as Green Lantern since it is Tomar-Re's Green Lantern ring that John uses.
If Lanterns is following DC Comics' history, this would mean that Tomar-Re is dead at the time that the show takes place. However, that doesn't mean that Tomar-Re couldn't show up in flashbacks to help establish John Stewart's character. John became a Marine to try and make a better world but became disillusioned when his superior officer wanted to kill civilians. Showing John having a close relationship with Tomar-Re and positive feelings about the Green Lantern Corps as a whole would show his values and how they align with those of the Green Lanterns.
6 Mogo The Living Planet Is Perfect For A James Gunn Project
Mogo Is A Planet Who Was Chosen By A Green Lantern Ring
Mogo is one of the wackiest Green Lanterns in DC Comics. It is a living planet that is also a member of the Green Lantern Corps. It even sometimes rearranges the trees on its surface to create a Green Lantern symbol that is visible from orbit.
Though James Gunn isn't confirmed to be writing Lanterns, his influence will likely still be felt throughout the DCU. Mogo seems like the perfect kind of obscure and strange comic book character for Gunn to make mainstream, similar to Rocket Raccoon or Cosmo. Seeing Lanterns embrace even the strangest elements of its comic book source material would be a good sign for the rest of the DCU.
5 Guy Gardner Is Already In The DCU
Nathan Fillion Will Play Guy Gardner In Superman: Legacy (2025)
Guy Gardner is already scheduled to appear in Superman: Legacy. Including him in Lanterns would be a good way to connect the show to the larger events of the DCU and help establish a timeline. Since Lanterns is set out in space, it will likely be hard to connect threads to the rest of the DCU. Even if Gardner's appearance is just a quick cameo, it would still go a long way toward creating the feeling of a shared universe. Gardner is also likely going to be a good comic relief character, so an appearance could add some levity.
4 Star Sapphire Would Shed Light On Hal Jordan's Flaws
Carol Ferris Was Once Hal Jordan's Boss And Girlfriend
Carol Ferris, aka Star Sapphire, would be a perfect inclusion in Lanterns because her presence would easily establish multiple aspects of the Green Lantern world. As a member of the Star Sapphire Corps, Carol would introduce the violet light of the Emotional Spectrum, which represents love. This would help establish the existence of positive emotions being used to power rings.
Though any Star Sapphire could introduce the concept of violet light to the DCU, Carol Ferris would be a good choice because of her connection to Hal Jordan. Carol and Hal have been romantically linked in DC Comics, but it usually doesn't work out. Knowing that Hal can't make a relationship work with someone who is chosen to wield the literal power of love would be a good way to establish some of his flaws.
3 Atrocitus Would Cast Doubt On The Green Lantern's Mission
Atrocitus Is The Founding Memeber Of The Red Lantern Corps
A consistent theme of Green Lantern comics is that the Guardians of the Universe who created the Green Lantern Corps are also deeply flawed beings. Few characters in DC know this as well as Atrocitus, whose entire sector of the universe was destroyed by the Guardians' precursor to the Green Lanterns, the Manhunters. Atrocitus would be the perfect Lanterns character to sow doubt in the two main Green Lanterns, leading to some interesting internal conflict as they try to carry out the Guardians' mission.
Atrocitus is also a significant character in Green Lantern comics because he is the founder of the Red Lantern Corps. Fueled by the power of his rage, Atrocitus creates red rings and forms his own Corps to go up against the Guardians. His inclusion in Lanterns would introduce another color of light on the Emotional Spectrum.
2 Ganthet Is One Of The Few Likable Guardians
The Guardians Of The Universe Created The Green Lantern Corps
It would make sense for the first major Green Lantern project to include the Guardians of the Universe to help establish how the Green Lantern Corps works. If the DCU wants audiences to sympathize with the Guardians, then it will likely want to choose Ganthet as the one to represent them. Unlike most of the Guardians, Ganthet is more in touch with his emotions and can relate to the Lanterns on an emotional level. Introducing him first would also make it a more surprising reveal if the Guardians end up being in the wrong, a somewhat consistent occurrence in DC.
1 Larfleeze Embodies The Emotional Spectrum The Best
Larfleeze Has The Only Orange Lantern Ring
Though each Lantern Corps represents a different emotion, they can sometimes feel a little too similar when they're all using rings and shooting constructs at each other. Larfleez is distinctly different because he is the only Orange Lantern. This is because the orange light represents greed, and he is, therefore, unwilling to share the Orange Power Battery with anyone else. Because Larfleez is such a clearly defined character, he would do a good job showing how differing personalities correspond to the different colors of light on the Emotional Spectrum in Lanterns.
