Green Lanterns Will Make Or Break The DCU

Superman will introduce the first of its three Green Lanterns, Guy Gardener, to the DCU. That will be followed by the series Lanterns, which features Hal Jordan and John Stewart, the most popular versions of the character.

With Superman scheduled for next summer and Lanterns expected to come out next year as well, that’s a lot of Characters with the same name to frontload into the new universe. 

These characters all bear the same name and energy projection powers as members of the Green Lantern Corps, a group that could be very important to the DCU.

As members of that organization, they’re part of a large interplanetary police force, with their signature power rings serving as their badges. Serving under the immortal Guardians of planet Oa, they’re tasked with keeping the universe safe and maintaining order. 

Fans of the various Green Lanterns should be happy about the DCU’s approach, as none of them have had a proper film adaptation.

So far, the only adaptation that prominently features the character is the much-maligned 2011 Ryan Reynolds movie.

While there were easter eggs and a small cameo, the corps of ring-wielding space cops were mostly absent from the last DC film universe. 

The Green Lanterns receiving such a central role in the DCU is likely because of how underutilized they were in the last universe. This will help to set the new take on DC’s heroes apart from Snyder’s vision. However, It does make the relative absence of popular characters like Wonder Woman and The Flash even more evident. 

Putting so much importance on Green Lanterns puts the DCU at risk of alienating casual fans, who only follow the movie versions of characters. While the various comics and animated series have made characters like John Stewart beloved, they don’t have an existing fandom in film to build on.

They will be the first major test for James Gunn’s ability to sell audiences on those types of lesser-known characters, something he did well working with Marvel. 

With minimal audience recognition, overinvesting in Green Lanterns could put the whole DCU at risk.

While casual fans will almost certainly go to see Superman and The Brave and the Bold based on the popularity of their protagonists, the other projects have to be profitable as well to avoid early cancellation.

I worry that if the characters are given too much importance and Lanterns is a flop it could irrevocably damage the fledgling universe. 

I love that the new universe is prioritizing previously underused characters like the Green Lanterns, but I think adding three versions to the DCU’s first chapter may be a little too much.

As a James Gunn fan, I’m hopeful that he can breathe new life into DC’s films. I’m just not sure introducing three characters with the same hero name and powerset is the best way to get a superhero-fatigued general audience invested in a new universe.