Lanterns Just Teased Another Batman Connection With a Major DC Deep Cut

September 1, 2026, 2:30pm

Thanks in part to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans have come to expect superhero projects to connect to each other and crossover when they can. So far, James Gunn’s take on the DC Universe has done that a bit, with Superman and Supergirl appearing in each other’s movies, Rick Flag Sr. as an overarching villain of sorts, and now with two new Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan and John Stewart, in Lanterns to go along with Guy Gardner’s appearance in Superman. Lanterns has a great chance of expanding this DC Universe thanks to its cosmic elements, the concept of the Green Lantern Corps, and the upcoming cameo from Guy Gardner. However, the already acclaimed series has done a good job of not overwhelming the narrative with connections to other projects, which can sometimes feel forced. The latest episode, “OutKast”, pulled off a connection tease in a subtle yet impressive way.

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“OutKast” was an episode designed to tell us John Stewart’s history and explain how he ended up working alongside Hal Jordan. It was brilliantly handled and included a nod to a notable Batman character. This connection could open the door for further connections in the DC Universe.

Lanterns Featured An Easter Egg For A Batman Villain

The beginning of “OutKast” saw John Stewart falling onto a pile of mattresses at an abandoned mall. We don’t see where he fell from or learn what specifically was going on until later in the episode, but John gets up and walks to a meeting. As he’s walking, you likely wouldn’t have noticed the Batman Easter egg, yet a closer look reveals that he passed a store in the background called Janus Cosmetics, which has a connection to a notable villain from Batman’s rogues gallery.

Janus Cosmetics is owned by Charles Sionis, a businessman whose son, Roman, was a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne. As an adult, Roman killed his father and took over Janus Cosmetics, which he then ran into the ground through shady investments. Lucius Fox acquired it for Wayne Enterprises, which led to Roman spiraling and turning into a crime lord who goes by Black Mask. He ran the False Face Society and became known for his fixation with masks and torture. The Janus Cosmetics sign is also next to a poster of someone whose face is half covered, which could be a nod to Black Mask.

There currently isn’t a Batman in Jame Gunn’s DC Universe, but there The Brave and the Bold is in the works, which is set to be a film about the Bat-Family. Black Mask would make for an intriguing villain for that story. Andy Muschietti is directing and his past in horror (It and It: Chapter Two) suggests he can tell a dark story well, which would work with Black Mask. Roman Sionis is also a villain who hasn’t appeared in a Batman movie despite so many iterations of the character on the big screen to date.

This would help The Brave and the Bold feel fresh, which is something any Batman movie needs after all these years. The only time we’ve seen Roman Sionis in a film was in 2020’s Harley Quinn flick, Birds of Prey, with Ewan McGregor doing a fantastic job in the role. He’s also appeared in episodes of Gotham and Batwoman. Of course, there’s always a chance that the inclusion of Janus Cosmetics is just a fun Easter egg and nothing more,

Black Mask Has A History With The Green Lanterns

Another possibility is that Janus Cosmetics will mean something for the future of Lanterns, Although Roman Sionis is famously a Batman villain, he has come across the Green Lantern Corps over the years. There’s a famous storyline in Blackest Night that sees a deceased Roman Sionis get resurrected by the villain Nekron as a Black Lantern. The Black Lantern Corps are villains who resemble intelligent zombies and represent a space outside of the emotional spectrum, which goes against what other Lantern Corps were known for.

In the story, Sionis goes after Catwoman until Poision Ivy manages to stop him with a mutated plant that dissolves his body whenever it attempts to regenerate. While that story is unlikely to ever make it to the big or small screens, it could simply be hinting at something big for Lanterns. Even if we don’t eventually get Black Mask in any project, this could all be a tease for the Black Lanterns getting involved in John and Hal’s future. Whatever happens, it’s always fun for comic book fans to discover connections like the Janus Cosmetics sign in Lanterns.

You can check out new episodes of Lanterns every Sunday night on HBO Max!