HBO’s upcoming Lanterns series is already shaping up to be one of the DCU’s most exciting projects, and for good reason. James Gunn’s new universe promises bold reinventions, but few moves have generated as much excitement as finally giving Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) the spotlight he has long deserved.
Hal Jordan has always been more than just another hero with a power ring. Introduced in 1959, he became the first successor to Alan Scott and redefined what a Green Lantern could be. His science-fiction-driven mythology, fearlessness, and connection to the wider Corps established the foundation for every Lantern who followed. Jordan didn’t just inherit a mantle, he rebuilt it from the ground up.
Despite this legacy, Hal Jordan has been absent from many of DC’s most successful on-screen adaptations. While other heroes have dominated both animation and live-action, the most iconic Lantern has been strangely sidelined. Lanterns is finally set to correct this decades-long problem, though how the show deploys Jordan, and how it repositions him within the new DCU, remains one of the series’ most compelling mysteries.
Hal Jordan Was Left Out Of DC’s Two Main Shared Universes
The Definitive Green Lantern’s Absence From DC’s Biggest Universes Has Been A Long-Standing Problem
Hal Jordan may be the definitive Green Lantern in DC Comics, but he has been conspicuously missing from DC’s two biggest shared universes: the Snyderverse and the DCAU. His absence stands out even more considering how central he is to the mythology of the Green Lantern Corps. For many fans, Jordan is the default Lantern, yet his screen legacy remains surprisingly thin.
In the Justice League animated series, John Stewart (voiced by Phil LaMarr) served as the team’s resident Lantern, becoming an era-defining version of the character. Stewart’s presence was highly successful, helping introduce millions to the Corps. However, his popularity coincided with Hal Jordan’s near-total absence from the DCAU’s core continuity (appearing only in an episode of Superman: The Animated Series and once in Justice League Unlimited).
The pattern repeated in live action. Zack Snyder planned to introduce John Stewart, played by Wayne T. Carr, in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The scene was filmed but ultimately cut, wiping out the Green Lantern cameo entirely. Meanwhile, Hal Jordan never appeared in the Snyderverse at all, despite being the Corps figure audiences most associate with the role.
Across both the animated and live-action universes, Jordan’s exclusion wasn’t just noticeable; it became a defining DC trend. As Green Lantern stories flourished everywhere else, the character who shaped decades of cosmic lore was consistently left on the sidelines. Lanterns now has the chance to correct that omission and restore him to his rightful place.
Lanterns Is Shining The Spotlight Back On Hal Jordan
The New Series Finally Gives Hal Jordan The Focus He Has Missed For Decades
A renewed focus on Hal Jordan is one of the most exciting aspects of Lanterns. For the first time in over a decade, a major live-action DC project is recognizing Jordan’s importance to the Green Lantern legacy. This shift marks a deliberate return to the roots of the franchise, placing the character who defined the Corps front and center.
While the series will also feature John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), it’s clear that Jordan’s role is foundational. Early descriptions and reports position the show as a grounded, investigative drama starring the two most famous Green Lanterns working together. For longtime comic readers, this embrace of the Hal-and-John dynamic brings the live-action universe closer to the mythology that shaped the modern Green Lantern era.
Crucially, this approach corrects a long-running problem. For years, Green Lantern adaptations leaned heavily toward Stewart or avoided the Corps altogether. By reintroducing Jordan as a lead, Lanterns acknowledges his legacy. The move also suggests a broader course correction within the DCU.
The Corps has always been strongest when its stories include multiple Green Lanterns, each bringing a different personality and approach to interstellar law enforcement. Hal Jordan’s swaggering boldness and John Stewart’s disciplined precision create the perfect balance – a balance on-screen DC has never fully explored until now.
Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern Failure Made DC Scared Of Hal Jordan
The 2011 Movie’s Backlash Pushed DC Away From Using Hal Jordan For Years
Hal Jordan did get one major live-action outing before Lanterns, but the legacy Ryan Reynolds’ take on the character became an unexpected obstacle. The 2011 Green Lantern movie was intended to launch a massive cosmic franchise. Instead, its critical failure reshaped DC’s strategy and pushed Hal Jordan out of the spotlight for years.
The movie struggled with tone, CGI, and structure, generating negative reception strong enough to influence DC’s decisions throughout the 2010s. While other characters received second chances or reboots, Jordan became synonymous with one of modern superhero cinema’s biggest misfires. The reaction seemed to convince DC that general audiences simply didn’t want Hal Jordan.
This perception directly affected the Snyderverse, which avoided Hal entirely. Even when Snyder planned to debut a Green Lantern in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the studio opted for John Stewart instead. Hal Jordan wasn’t even considered for a cameo, underscoring how deeply the 2011 film had damaged his live-action viability.
For over a decade, DC’s fear of repeating the 2011 disaster prevented Hal Jordan from reclaiming his place. Instead of treating the film as an outlier, the studio backed away from its most important Lantern. Lanterns represents the first meaningful attempt to rebuild his reputation and show that Hal Jordan can succeed with the right creative vision.
Hal Jordan’s DCU Future Is Still Worrying
Lanterns Might Bring Hal Jordan Back Only To Set Up A Darker Fate
While it’s encouraging that Hal Jordan will finally return in Lanterns, the character’s future in the DCU is still uncertain. It’s also potentially worrying. Early theories suggest the show may position Jordan for a darker arc, possibly even killing him or transforming him into one of the DCU’s future villains.
The recently discussed theories surrounding the reprorted Lanterns trailer hint at the Parallax storyline, one of Hal Jordan’s most infamous comic arcs. If the DCU chooses to adapt this narrative early, Jordan could be heading toward an eventual villain role. That would be a bold choice for a character fans waited decades to see properly represented on screen.
There’s also the possibility that Jordan and Stewart won’t share equal footing. If Hal’s role is to set up John Stewart as the DCU’s primary Lantern, his arc could end abruptly, potentially in a tragic or sacrificial twist designed to raise the stakes of the new universe.
Even with the promise of a faithful portrayal, Lanterns might still use Jordan’s return as a stepping stone for something unexpected. Many fans want to see Hal Jordan restored, not rewritten into a doom-laden subplot or early casualty of the DCU’s long-term narrative plans.
For now, Hal Jordan’s place at the center of Lanterns is exciting, but uncertainty lingers. The DCU is finally embracing its most iconic Green Lantern; the hope is that it doesn’t lose him just as quickly.
- Network
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HBO
- Directors
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James Hawes
- Writers
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Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof
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Aaron Pierre
John Stewart
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Kelly Macdonald
Sheriff Kerry
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