Everybody already knows I have been looking at James Gunn’s DCU with a side-eye. I haven’t been one of those people automatically screaming that everything DC Studios releases is fire just because a new universe started. If I think something is trash, I’m going to tell you it’s trash. If I think something is good, I’m going to give it its credit.
That’s exactly why Lanterns surprised me.
Going into this show, I had serious questions about the grounded approach, the Green Lantern costumes, Kyle Chandler’s older Hal Jordan and whether DC was going to take one of the most cosmic properties in comic books and turn it into nothing but dudes walking around small towns talking to each other.
After watching the first two episodes, however, my answer to the big question is this: No, I don’t think Lanterns is trash—at least not yet.
It’s a slow burn, and I can deal with a slow burn. What I need now is the payoff. Give me more Green Lantern mythology, more space, more ring action, the Guardians, Sinestro, the emotional spectrum and the cosmic craziness that comes with this universe. If the show builds toward all of that, DC might actually have something here.
That’s what we broke down on Lords of the Livestreams, and the deeper we got into the Green Lantern lore, the more interesting this show started becoming.
Lanterns Episodes 1 and 2 Are Better Than I Expected
I usually don’t have a problem running into a livestream and telling everybody something is complete trash. Y’all know me.
But I can’t do that with Lanterns.
The first two episodes gave me enough mystery to keep watching. Episode 1 did a good job introducing this older, more experienced Hal Jordan and his relationship with John Stewart. Episode 2 started opening the door to the bigger Green Lantern mythology.
I actually liked Episode 1 a little more, but I understand why people are saying Episode 2 was better. Episode 2 gives us more clues about where the story could eventually go, and those clues might end up being much bigger than the grounded detective story we are seeing on the surface.
My biggest concern is that DC cannot spend eight episodes teasing something incredible and then fall apart at the finish line.
I’ve been down that road before.
You get invested in a show, everything looks promising, and then the final episode comes along and makes you feel like you wasted your mother freaking time.
Lanterns cannot do that.
The Green Lantern Emotional Spectrum Could Be Bigger Than We Think
One of the things that made me appreciate Lanterns more was digging into the different Lantern Corps.
Green isn’t the only color in this universe. You have different colors connected to different emotions. Green represents willpower, red is associated with rage, yellow is connected to fear, and you also have blue, orange and other parts of the emotional spectrum.
That makes some of the visual decisions in Lanterns more interesting.
People have complained that Hal Jordan’s suit isn’t glowing bright green every second. I understand that complaint because when I think Green Lantern, I want that GREEN.
Give me the glow.
Give me the ring.
Give me the constructs.
But one theory we discussed was that Hal’s changing appearance could actually reflect where he is emotionally. If Hal is slowly moving away from pure willpower and toward fear or something darker, the muted green could potentially mean something.
I don’t know if that’s what the show is actually doing, but if it is?
That’s fire.
That would turn something people thought was a cheap visual decision into storytelling.
Are the Red Lanterns Already Hiding in Plain Sight?
This is where things get really interesting.
At first, I was thinking some of the strange characters we were seeing had something to do with Martians because Martian Manhunter immediately comes to mind when you start talking about shapeshifting aliens in DC.
But the deeper Green Lantern connection might actually involve the Red Lanterns.
The discussion around these mysterious beings, their anger toward the Guardians and the possibility of Atrocitus entering the story makes me think DC is setting up something much larger than a local murder investigation.
And if those characters are disguising their true alien forms?
Now we’re cooking.
I don’t need Atrocitus walking around looking like some regular dude for the entire season. Eventually, give me the monster. Give me the Red Lantern. Let that transformation hit when the story is ready for it.
That’s what I mean when I say the show needs a payoff.
You can start grounded.
You can make it feel like a detective drama.
But eventually, Green Lantern has to become Green Lantern.
John Stewart Is Already Showing Why He Is Different
John Stewart is another reason I’m staying with the show.
One detail that really caught my attention was John maintaining a construct without actively using the ring. The more I looked into that idea, the more I liked what the show might be setting up.
John isn’t simply Hal Jordan 2.0.
His background affects the way he uses his powers. John is precise. He thinks structurally. He approaches constructs almost like an engineer because that is part of who he is.
That’s what I want.
Don’t give every Green Lantern exactly the same powers with slightly different costumes. The ring responds to the individual wearing it, so their personality and imagination should affect how those abilities look.
Hal might have incredible raw willpower, but John’s precision can make his constructs feel completely different.
That’s character development through superpowers.
Comic-book movies and shows need more of that.
Is Lanterns Setting Up Hal Jordan as Parallax?
Now we got to get into the theory that really caught my attention.
Could Lanterns be setting up Parallax?
Hal Jordan’s history with Parallax is one of the darkest parts of Green Lantern mythology, and this show is already giving us a Hal who doesn’t completely trust the Guardians.
That matters.
There is a moment where the idea of contacting the Guardians comes up, and Hal basically wants nothing to do with it. He’s keeping things from them. He isn’t completely open with John either.
That distrust has to be going somewhere.
I’m not saying DC has already confirmed we’re getting Parallax. I’m talking theory here. But if you’re showing me an older Hal Jordan who is tired, suspicious of the Guardians and potentially moving emotionally away from the Green Lantern light, then I’m going to start connecting some dots.
Hal becoming Parallax could take this show from a grounded detective mystery into something massive.
Imagine watching this veteran Green Lantern slowly lose faith in the organization he served his entire life. Maybe he believes the Guardians failed. Maybe fear starts creeping in. Maybe something begins manipulating that doubt.
Then you get Parallax.
That would be one hell of an arc.
Sinestro Should Look Better Than This
Now let me complain for a minute.
Sinestro is one of the coldest villains in DC.
This man is supposed to walk into a scene and immediately look like somebody you don’t trust. Sinestro should feel intelligent, arrogant, dangerous and almost royal in the way he carries himself.
The current look?
Man.
I keep looking at him and thinking somebody left this dude in the sun too freaking long.
I understand what Lanterns is trying to do. The entire series has this realistic visual approach, so they don’t want every alien looking like a cartoon walking around inside a live-action detective show.
But you can go too far with realism.
Mark Strong’s Sinestro in the 2011 Green Lantern movie looked like Sinestro. Say what you want about that movie—and believe me, there’s plenty to say—but Sinestro looked right.
You don’t have to copy that design exactly, but give this man a little more alien flavor.
He is Sinestro, not Steve from accounting after a bad beach vacation.
I Still Want More Cosmic Green Lantern
My biggest request for Lanterns is simple.
Take me to space.
The scene where Hal travels to that ice-prison world immediately had me wanting more. That’s what separates Green Lantern from a regular superhero detective story.
These people are basically intergalactic police officers.
Earth is one little piece of their jurisdiction.
I want to see weird planets. I want the Guardians. I want alien Lanterns. I want Kilowog. I want Oa. I want to understand why these rings exist and what Hal has experienced during all these years serving the Corps.
The grounded stuff is working better than I expected, but don’t become scared of your own comic-book mythology.
That’s where superhero projects mess up sometimes. They act embarrassed about the source material.
Green Lantern is weird.
Embrace the weird.
Is the DCU Already in Trouble Under James Gunn?
This is the larger issue hanging over everything.
I don’t think James Gunn’s DCU has gotten off to the beginning it needed.
Some people think Superman was a success. I wasn’t impressed with it the way other people were, and I’ve already made my problems with that movie clear.
And the direction surrounding other DC projects has me questioning whether this universe is actually finding its audience.
That puts more pressure on Lanterns, Clayface and especially the next Superman movie, Man of Tomorrow.
James Gunn can’t keep taking swings and expecting people to eventually show up because the DC logo is attached.
You have Batman.
You have Superman.
You have Wonder Woman.
You have Green Lantern.
These are some of the biggest comic-book characters ever created. DC should not be operating like they’re trying to convince people to care about some character created last Tuesday.
The characters already have fans.
Give those fans great movies.
Man of Tomorrow Needs to Knock It Out of the Park
I’m interested in Man of Tomorrow, but I still have problems with this version of Superman.
First of all, y’all already know what I’m about to say.
THE DRAWS.
Those trunks drive me crazy.
I know they’re classic Superman. Christopher Reeve wore them, and it worked for that era. But this is a modern superhero movie, and every time I look at that suit, those trunks pull my eyes straight toward them.
The crazy thing is David Corenswet himself is not my problem.
I actually think that brother looks like Clark Kent.
Fix the suit!
James Gunn even discussed how different Superman designs were considered, including versions without the trunks. Zack Snyder also experimented with that idea when creating his Superman design before deciding against using them.
And I agree with that direction.
Henry Cavill’s suit looked modern.
It looked Kryptonian.
It looked like somebody from another world.
You don’t have to copy Snyder’s exact design, but learn from what worked.
Could Zack Snyder Save the DCU?
Now we get to the question that is going to make the internet start fighting again.
Should DC call Zack Snyder back?
I think there’s a lane for it.
Notice what I’m saying. I’m not saying hand Zack Snyder the keys to every DC character, give him a desk at Warner Bros. and tell everybody else to go home.
Let that man direct.
That’s where he’s strongest.
Visually, Zack Snyder understands superheroes. When Superman flies, you feel it. When Batman enters a scene, he looks like Batman. When the Justice League fights, the action has scale and weight.
Even when I disagree with some of Snyder’s story decisions, I can look at the screen and tell you that man knows how to create a superhero image.
And if DC doesn’t want to interfere with James Gunn’s main universe, there is an obvious answer.
Elseworlds.
Zack Snyder’s Dark Knight Returns Could Be the Perfect DC Elseworlds Movie
The Zack Snyder project I would immediately pay attention to is The Dark Knight Returns.
Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns gives Snyder almost everything he loves creatively: an older Batman, a brutal world, huge superhero imagery, a darker Superman conflict and a story that does not need to fit neatly inside a ten-year cinematic universe.
Batman v Superman already borrowed heavily from the visual language of The Dark Knight Returns. So imagine giving Snyder permission to stop borrowing pieces and actually adapt the story.
No universe building.
No worrying about setting up five spin-offs.
No trying to make it fit James Gunn’s Superman.
Make it an Elseworlds project.
Give Zack Snyder an older Batman and let him cook.
DC’s animated Dark Knight Returns adaptation already showed how strong that story can be when you embrace the material. A major live-action version could become the kind of prestige comic-book event DC desperately needs.
And the beauty is that it doesn’t have to replace anybody.
James Gunn can keep his Batman.
Snyder can have his Batman.
Everybody wins.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League Still Holds Up for Me
This whole conversation also turned into another argument that always gets people mad.
Where does Zack Snyder’s Justice League rank against Marvel’s biggest movies?
For me, it’s better than Avengers: Endgame as a complete movie.
There. I said it.
I can watch Zack Snyder’s Justice League from beginning to end. With Endgame, there are sections where I’m ready to start fast-forwarding until that final battle hits.
But Infinity War?
Nah.
I’m a Snyder head, but I’m not crazy.
Infinity War is better.
That might still be the best MCU movie Marvel has made. Infinity War, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War are right there at the top for me.
You can love DC and still give Marvel its flowers.
That’s the whole point of Lords of the Livestreams. We don’t have to pretend everything from one company is amazing and everything from the other company is trash.
Lords of the Livestreams Is About the Debate
That’s why I wanted this show.
That’s boring.
I want disagreement.
I want somebody telling me I’m crazy because I think Tom Holland is the coldest Spider-Man. I want arguments over whether Infinity War beats Endgame. I want to debate whether Lanterns is actually good or whether we’re letting the promise of future Green Lantern lore distract us from problems happening right now.
That’s what makes these conversations fun.
Nobody has to like the same thing.
The only requirement is that you come ready to defend your take.
My Final Verdict on Lanterns and the Future of the DCU
After two episodes, I’m not calling Lanterns trash.
I’m cautiously interested.
The show has a slower pace than some fans will want, but the Green Lantern mythology underneath that detective story is starting to get my attention. John Stewart’s powers, Hal Jordan’s distrust of the Guardians, the possible Red Lantern connections, Sinestro and the possibility of a Parallax storyline give this series a lot of directions it can go.
Now DC has to deliver.
If the remaining episodes stay grounded without giving us the cosmic payoff, I’m going to have a problem.
If the show builds toward Oa, the Guardians, the emotional spectrum, Red Lanterns, Parallax and a larger Green Lantern universe?
We might have something special.
As far as Zack Snyder goes, I don’t think DC needs to erase the new universe and rebuild the SnyderVerse. But I absolutely believe Warner Bros. could benefit from letting Snyder return for a standalone Dark Knight Returns Elseworlds movie.
Let Gunn build his DCU.
Let Snyder make his movie.
And let the fans decide what they want to watch.
That sounds a whole lot smarter to me than spending the next ten years arguing about which version of DC is allowed to exist.
DCU Lanterns FAQ
Is Lanterns trash?
After the first two episodes, I don’t think so. The series is a slow burn, but its Hal Jordan and John Stewart story is beginning to introduce deeper Green Lantern mythology. My biggest concern is whether the show delivers a strong cosmic payoff later in the season.
Is Lanterns setting up Parallax?
I think it’s possible. Hal Jordan’s growing distrust of the Guardians and his darker emotional direction could be clues toward a Parallax storyline, but that is my theory based on what the show is currently presenting.
Are the Red Lanterns in Lanterns?
The livestream discussion raised the possibility that some of the mysterious alien characters could connect to the Red Lantern mythology and Atrocitus. I want to see how the show develops those clues before treating that theory as confirmed.
Why is John Stewart important in Lanterns?
John Stewart isn’t simply another Hal Jordan. His precision, discipline and background influence how he uses the Green Lantern power, which gives the show an opportunity to make his constructs and approach feel unique.
Does Sinestro appear in Lanterns?
Yes, Sinestro is part of the show’s Green Lantern storyline. My problem is his visual design. I understand the realistic approach, but I want him to look more alien and closer to the intimidating Sinestro fans know from DC Comics.
Should Zack Snyder return to DC?
I would bring Zack Snyder back as a director for the right standalone project rather than handing him control of the entire DCU again.
Should Zack Snyder direct The Dark Knight Returns?
Yes. I think The Dark Knight Returns is almost perfectly built for Snyder’s darker visual style and could work especially well as a separate DC Elseworlds movie outside James Gunn’s main continuity.
Is Zack Snyder’s Justice League better than Avengers: Endgame?
For me, yes. I enjoy Zack Snyder’s Justice League more as a complete movie. But I still rank Avengers: Infinity War above it.
