We’ve finally gotten our first look at Lanterns, the next DCU TV show. James Gunn’s Superman successfully launched the DCU, earning both popular and critical acclaim (it has a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 83%, while the audience score is an impressive 90%). But the DCU will be different from other cinematic universes, in that it lacks a cohesive style and tone. The reborn franchise is helmed by James Gunn, and he’s keen for every filmmaker and showrunner to blaze their own trail.
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The first Lanterns trailer shows how different this is to Superman. Created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, it’s stylistically unique; there’s only one glimpse of the iconic Green Lantern costume, and it certainly doesn’t pop with the vividness we’ve seen in Supergirl. Far from a cosmic adventure, this promises to be an intensive small-town mystery starring two leads who are clashing – Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart. But this first trailer has had a polarizing effect in the fanbase, resulting in intense division. As tempting as it is to dismiss this reaction as simply typical internet culture, there’s actually good reason.
Some Fans Are Won Over By the Casting & the Stars
Let’s start with the reason some viewers are excited about Lanterns; the sheer quality of the team this HBO TV show has assembled. Damon Lindelof is well-known for ambitious, mystery-driven stories like Lost, The Leftovers, and Watchmen. He’s become one of the most respected auteur showrunners, and it’s thrilling to see him making a superhero TV series in the nascent DCU. Even better, Lanterns has attracted some phenomenal talent, with the first trailer naturally focusing in on Chandler and Pierre. Chandler’s casting has come in for a lot of praise, and he really does feel like the iconic Hal Jordan.
Aaron Pierre has a strong reputation too, and he plays the role well – albeit a little differently to the comic book version of John Stewart. There, Stewart was initially uncomfortable with the idea of being a Green Lantern, intimidated by the idea of taking over from the original (whose identity he didn’t initially know, leading to a lot of fun confusion when he wondered why test pilot Hal Jordan recommended him at one point). “I saw myself as the backup quarterback,” John explained in Green Lantern #188. “You only play when the real guy’s hurt — and only until he gets better!” Suffice to say that’s not the John Stewart of the DCU, with this version more ambitious, generating strong drama between Hal and John.
But This Isn’t A Traditional Green Lantern Story
At the same time, though, other viewers – principally those who grew up with the comics – are shaken by the trailer. The Green Lantern comics are among the most vivid and beautiful in the entire superhero genre, with stories frequently set against a backdrop of swirling nebulas and cosmic firestorms. This is completely absent from Lanterns, which grounds the story in a single small town, with the trailer only featuring brief glimpses of super-powers in action. Even a scene where Hal flies avoids the traditional emerald-green halo effect that accompanies Green Lantern flight.
The general reaction among this part of the fanbase is simple: this looks like a great TV show. But it doesn’t look like a Green Lantern show. The fading of the suit may be appropriate for the narrative, but it feels almost symbolic that this is just a shadow of what it could have been. Some are even comparing this to Fox’s early X-Men movies, which released at a time when studios were unsure whether audiences would like superhero films, and thus were too embarrassed to embrace the surreal and spectacular. It’s true that the trailer nods to a Lantern who’s a chipmunk, acknowledging the wider universe, but it doesn’t seem to want to show any of this.
It must be noted that the trailer does offer hints that matters will escalate. Buildings are shown torn apart, suggesting Hal and John will be going up against something that can give two Green Lanterns a run for their money. HBO has deliberately chosen not to give too much away, instead focusing on the relationship between Hal and John, the emotional heart of this story. It’s easy to understand that choice, but it has left some viewers deeply unsatisfied. Amusingly, HBO has responded by openly calling out some of these critics.
The first Lanterns trailer has probably done what HBO wanted. It has given viewers an idea what to expect from the latest Lindelof TV show, presenting the starring characters and the reasons for their conflict. It’s also served to let lovers of the comics know what they’re in for, and that this is not your typical Green Lantern adaptation. That said, it’s still only a teaser, and Lindelof is known for plots that escalate quite quickly – meaning those hints of destroyed buildings should be seen as a promise that so much more is yet to come.
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Image Courtesy of Science SARU
