The next chapter of the DCU is on the way with two high-profile projects hitting next year in Supergirl and Lanterns, and fans got first looks at both over the past few days. While Supergirl received a teaser trailer, Lanterns only revealed a brief sneak peek of footage. Despite how brief that footage was, one particular scene between Hal Jordan and John Stewart has already confirmed that Kyle Chandler was the best choice to bring Hal to life on the big screen.
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At one point in a car, Stewart tells Jordan that he’s been preparing for this role his whole life, and Jordan counters by saying, “You’re not ready to get up in front of the class until the ring says you are.” That’s when he puts the ring on the dash and dives out the door, putting Stewart in a do-or-die situation, and just from this scene, Chandler already showcased why he was a brilliant choice to bring Hal Jordan to life.
Kyle Chandler Has Already Made Hal Jordan More Likable Without Losing the Edge
While different creative teams and eras have brought fans a host of different versions of Jordan in the comics, there are a few relatively consistent elements between those versions. More often than not, Jordan is a hotshot pilot who has all the confidence in the world in his own abilities, regardless of what those abilities actually are. At best, Jordan comes across as self-assured, and at worst, annoyingly cocky, and sadly, over the years, he’s been at the latter part of that scale quite a bit.
That said, Jordan still has the deserved reputation of being one of the best Lanterns to ever wield a ring. That’s why, in the wrong hand,s an overconfident Jordan who has the history to back up the attitude can make him even more intolerable, and coupled with Jordan’s openness to taking risks, you can see why he can quickly become a character that feels out of control. What I will note is that the recent run by Jeremy Adams has addressed many of my past critiques of the character, so this is mostly true of versions in previous eras.
In the footage we’ve already seen, Chandler seems to be just as self-assured and confident in who he is and his abilities, and yet his delivery feels far more approachable and down to earth than previous eras of his comics counterpart. Chandler is still the veteran presence, and you never doubt that he knows what he’s talking about, and even when he delivers the line about Stewart being ready, he’s not assessing that based on his own view, but calling out that it’s the ring that decides that.
This doesn’t feel tied to Jordan’s own ego or opinions, and there’s even somewhat of a comforting element to Jordan’s presence at this point. That’s what also makes the next moment so shocking, as Jordan puts the ring on the dash and jumps out of the car. This is right in line with something Jordan would do, as he’s all about just jumping into the deep end on something and seeing how it fares. The charm and ease of the previous interaction contrast this well though, and that’s all from just a glimpse at what the show has in store.
Now, this is just a glimpse, and the show could go completely sideways once we actually see a full episode. I don’t believe that to be the case, however, and if Chandler builds on what he’s already presented, it appears we are in for a truly great on-screen portrayal of Hal Jordan.
Lanterns is set to debut on HBO Max sometime in 2026.
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