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Tom Russell
Published 32 minutes ago
Tom is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, with expertise covering all things Classic TV from hilarious sitcoms to jaw-dropping sci-fi.
Initially he was an Updates writer, though before long he found his way to the Classic TV team. He now spends his days keeping Screen Rant readers informed about the TV shows of yesteryear, whether it's recommending hidden gems that may have been missed by genre fans or deep diving into ways your favorite shows have (or haven't) stood the test of time.
Tom is based in the UK and when he's not writing about TV shows, he's watching them. He's also an avid horror fiction writer, gamer, and has a Dungeons and Dragons habit that he tries (and fails) to keep in check.
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HBO’s Lanterns has quickly become one of the most anticipated projects in James Gunn’s DCU, and the excitement only keeps building. While official details remain scarce, reports on a privately screened teaser trailer have spread fast among insiders (via Omelete). These early reactions suggest the series is much more intense, moody, and character-driven than many expected, cementing it as a cornerstone of the new DCU.
Among the supposed reveals, the most intriguing center on the show’s core pairing: Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). If reports are accurate, the version of Hal introduced in Lanterns could be far removed from the confident space cop fans know best. Instead, viewers may meet him in a darker chapter of his personal and heroic journey.
According to the alleged footage descriptions, Lanterns features an older, seasoned Hal Jordan guiding the younger John Stewart through the dangers and responsibilities of the Green Lantern Corps. But when comparing this setup to Hal’s trajectory in DC Comics, this mentorship dynamic might hint that the DCU is gearing up to showcase the darkest incarnation of Hal Jordan ever seen.
Hal Jordan Is A Reluctant Teacher In Lanterns
A Mentorship Role Hints At A Deeper, More Conflicted Version Of Hal Jordan
The reported Lanterns teaser trailer suggests that Hal Jordan will serve as a reluctant mentor to John Stewart, framing their dynamic as the emotional and narrative backbone of the series. Early descriptions highlight Hal as experienced but withdrawn, guiding John through their investigation while keeping him at arm’s length.
Positioning Hal as a teacher carries significant weight for the larger story James Gunn is building in Lanterns and the wider DCU. It introduces him not as a wide-eyed recruit, but as a veteran who has already been shaped, and possibly hardened, by years of patrolling the galaxy. This kind of world-weariness implies prior trauma, regret, or a crisis of faith in the Corps.
For John, meanwhile, Hal’s unwilling mentorship creates fertile ground for character development, forcing him to grow not from inspiration but from observing someone struggling with the same responsibilities he hopes to master.
This dynamic also aligns with Gunn’s broader push toward more grounded, character-driven storytelling. The teaser reportedly showcases a somber, True Detective-style atmosphere, emphasizing tense conversations, stark landscapes, and morally gray choices. In that tone, Hal’s reluctant involvement could become a narrative anchor. His hesitation adds potential texture and suggests that whatever weight he carries, it is significant enough to shape the tone of every interaction.
Crucially, this approach hints that Hal’s past is not only complicated but central to the series’ mystery. If the teaser’s tone is as serious as described, Hal’s mentorship isn’t simply about passing knowledge to John, it’s about wrestling with the very reasons he’s still wearing the ring. That internal struggle could become one of the series’ biggest storytelling engines, setting Lanterns apart from other superhero TV shows.
Lanterns Might Be Setting Up Hal Jordan's Villain Arc
The Show’s Darker Depiction Of Hal Jordan May Foreshadow His Zero Hour Villain Turn
Hal Jordan has one of the most dramatic villain turns in DC Comics history. In the 1994 crossover event Zero Hour, Hal succumbed to grief and rage, becoming the reality-altering villain Parallax. The storyline reframed him as a fallen hero corrupted by despair, setting a precedent for one of DC’s most shocking transformations. Lanterns may be planting early seeds of this arc.
While nothing in the rumored teaser confirms a villain turn, the choice to introduce Hal at a low point in his life mirrors the emotional descent that led to his comic-book fall. The reported footage paints Hal as withdrawn, disillusioned, and carrying a burden that isolates him from John Stewart. This portrayal aligns with the psychological cracks that eventually pushed him toward becoming Parallax on the page.
The series’ investigative structure furthers this possibility. As Hal and John unravel their central mystery, the emotional toll could expose the vulnerabilities that make Hal susceptible to darkness. Even if Lanterns never shows Hal becoming a full villain, it could explore the early fractures that foreshadow the transformation.
Above all, the creative choice to portray Hal as conflicted rather than inspirational is itself telling. The DCU may be planning to reframe Hal Jordan not just as a legendary hero, but as a deeply flawed figure whose moral complexity becomes essential to future storylines. A villain arc, even one realized years from now, feels incredibly plausible.
Will Parallax Be The Villain Behind It All In Lanterns?
Parallax Is An Exciting Possibility, But Lanterns’ Grounded Tone Makes His Appearance Unlikely
Speculation about Parallax, Hal Jordan’s destructive comic-book alter ego, is inevitable whenever discussions of a darker Hal arise. Parallax is one of DC’s most formidable villains, capable of rewriting reality and threatening the entire universe. Introducing him in the DCU would be equivalent to deploying a Thanos-level antagonist. However, Lanterns is unlikely to unleash such a colossal threat this early.
Everything known about the series points toward a grounded mystery narrative. The plot reportedly follows Hal Jordan and John Stewart investigating a murder in middle-America, with the scope expanding gradually as they uncover a deeper conspiracy. This setup leans heavily into True Detective influences, favoring gritty tension over cosmic spectacle. Parallax, with his apocalyptic power set, would clash with the show’s aesthetic and scale.
That said, Lanterns could absolutely function as the narrative foundation for future Parallax-related arcs. Gunn is building the DCU with long-term continuity in mind, and Zero Hour remains one of the most iconic Green Lantern storylines available for adaptation. Subtle hints, such brief references to emotional trauma, glimpses of fear-entity mythology, or unexplained instability in Hal’s behavior, could foreshadow a major payoff years down the line.
Even without a full villain turn, the show may explore the psychological groundwork that later blossoms into Parallax. A story this grounded could introduce the seeds of Hal’s fear, guilt, or anger, making his future transformation more tragic and earned. While Parallax almost certainly will not serve as the main villain of Lanterns, the series has ample room to begin shaping the conditions for his eventual rise elsewhere in the DCU.
Lanterns
Like Follow Followed Mystery Action Adventure Science Fiction Network HBO Directors James Hawes Writers Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof Franchise(s) DC UniverseCast
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Aaron Pierre
John Stewart
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Kyle Chandler
Hal Jordan
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Kelly Macdonald
Sheriff Kerry
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Garret Dillahunt
William Macon
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Lanterns
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