DC Studios is set to have an exciting year on the big and small screens. In addition to the theatrical premieres of Supergirl and Clayface, fans are looking forward to the TV series Lanterns, which debuts this August on HBO Max. It marks the first time the Green Lantern property has been the focus of a live-action project since the infamous 2011 feature film, which only adds to the anticipation. On the surface, Lanterns seems to have a lot going for it, including a talented cast headlined by Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre. However, the series has been subject to controversy, particularly after the first trailer debuted, teasing a grounded, True Detective-style drama that seemingly downplayed any comic book sensibilities. Now, showrunner Chris Mundy has addressed the backlash.
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Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Mundy discussed the reactions to Lanterns thus far. “It’s a Green Lantern show, so there’s green,” he said. “The aesthetic of the show — it’s supposed to be very grounded and real, so we’re shooting practically in places. We’re not heavily green-screened. It’s not like day glow in its presentation of anything. I think Green Lantern fans will not feel like we’ve somehow made a brown show of their green comic at all. It’s very much ‘we’re in the world,’ and then when we use the constructs, they’re what people would expect them to be.”
He continued, “We could have put out a trailer that was tremendously green. So the fact that people are talking about it just means, to me, that they’re excited about the show. We have a lot of respect for the source material, otherwise we wouldn’t be doing this show. I think when people see it, it won’t be a controversy.”
Lanterns Is an Important Project for the DC Universe’s Future
Lanterns has been drawing comparisons to True Detective for a while, so in some ways, the teaser delivered exactly what was promised. Still, actually seeing the footage is obviously a different experience than reading an elevator pitch, which is probably why the trailer caught some fans off guard. The lack of Green Lantern powers and visual effects was a bit surprising, and the storytelling approach is a stark contrast from the colorful cosmic adventures people usually associate the Green Lantern Corps. with. While taking things in a more grounded direction has potential, people aren’t sure how it’ll work yet.
It goes without saying that DC fans want to see green and Lantern powers in a Green Lantern show, but there are good reasons why DC Studios is holding back on showing them now. When the teaser originally debuted in early March, Lanterns was a handful of months away from its release (and there are still three to go as of this writing), meaning visual effects shots could still be in the process of being finalized. The last thing anyone involved with Lanterns wants is for unfinished CGI to make the rounds online, which would generate a different kind of controversy. Ryan Reynolds’ digital costume from the Green Lantern movie is still one of the most infamous blunders in superhero movies, so the Lanterns team needs to tread carefully here. It’s better to hold back and highlight other aspects of the series, gradually building up to a full reveal that will leave a positive impression.
Clearly, Mundy isn’t going to say anything negative about Lanterns at this stage in the promotional cycle, but it’s nevertheless encouraging to hear him talk about “respect for the source material.” Given James Gunn’s penchant for embracing comic book sensibilities (bringing the obscure and strange to the mainstream), it isn’t surprising to hear honoring the source material was a guiding light for the Lanterns team. Since taking over as co-head of DC Studios, Gunn has been adamant that no film or TV show will begin production unless he’s happy with the scripts. It’s difficult to imagine a scenario where he’d sign off on a Green Lantern show that doesn’t feature classic Green Lantern elements in some way.
As the Lanterns release date draws near, it’ll be interesting to see how DC Studios handles the rest of the marketing campaign. Ideally, subsequent looks at the show will feature more green, which would hopefully assuage some of the concerns people have. Lanterns is poised to be an important project on the DCU slate. It’s already been confirmed that Pierre is reprising John Stewart in the film Man of Tomorrow and Gunn has teased that Lanterns is “really important in setting up things.” It’s pertinent for this show to click with audiences, and hopefully it will deliver something memorable when it’s all said and done.
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