When DC Studios’ Lanterns arrives on HBO Max this August, it will be the first time since 2011 that the Green Lantern IP has been the focus of a major live-action project. However, that isn’t for lack of trying. When the DC Extended Universe was active, there were multiple attempts to bring the Green Lantern Corp. to the spotlight. The film Green Lantern Corps. was announced and was at one point scheduled to release in 2020, but it never came to fruition. Later on Zack Snyder intended for Wayne T. Carr to appear as John Stewart in Justice League, though that idea was scrapped to make way for Harry Lennix as Martian Manhunter. All these years later, Snyder is reminiscing about what might have been.
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On Instagram, Snyder shared a post consisting of a behind-the-scenes photo of himself with Carr (who’s wearing a mo-cap suit for his Green Lantern performance) and a render of Carr’s John Stewart in a Lantern suit. The timing of Snyder’s post is fascinating; Lanterns has recently been subject to backlash following the release of its first trailer. This wasn’t lost on people in the comments section, as some replies directly referenced the Lanterns backlash, and other called for the Snyderverse to be restored. Check out Snyder’s post in the space below:
Why Is the DC Universe’s Lanterns So Divisive?
With a cast headlined by Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, Lanterns is perhaps the most exciting project on DC’s slate in a year that also includes movies Supergirl and Clayface. Fans have waited a long time for the Green Lantern Corp. to take center stage again, but the first look at Lanterns wasn’t quite what everyone was expecting. Some were taken aback by the very grounded nature of the footage, as the preview played less like a trailer for a comic book TV show and more like one for a new HBO detective drama. Even though Lanterns was getting True Detective comps in the build up to the trailer release, the lack of Lantern powers and effects drew backlash.
Perhaps the biggest critique about Lanterns thus far is that it doesn’t feel like a typical Green Lantern story, missing the sense of cosmic adventure and vivid colors that defined some of the best comic book stories. This sentiment can be seen in some of the replies on Snyder’s post, with people saying Carr’s John Stewart is “the real Green Lantern” and “THAT’S how Green Lantern is supposed to look!!” Still, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s still early in the Lanterns marketing campaign. The show doesn’t premiere until August, so there’s likely still a lot of post-production work to do. DC Studios would rather not showcase visual effects shots until they’re ready for primetime, and instead chose to make the Hal Jordan/John Stewart dynamic the focal point of the trailer.
It’s also important to keep in mind that, in all likelihood, Snyder did not make his post with malicious intent. He is friends with James Gunn and has had nothing but positive things to say about Gunn’s approach for the DC Universe and the new Superman movies. The Lanterns trailer being in the news might have just made Snyder nostalgic for his time in the DC Extended Universe and he decided to take a look back at what might have been if things had gone differently. Snyder has moved on to other endeavors, but he remains passionate about DC heroes and would have surely loved to have been able to bring his vision of Green Lantern to the big screen.
As for Lanterns, while the trailer didn’t leave a universally positive first impression, there are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the show’s prospects. The DC Universe got off to a strong start last year with Superman and Peacemaker Season 2 (though the finale was polarizing), and co-creator Damon Lindelof has a great track record with TV shows (including Watchmen, another notable comic book adaptation). Plus, Pierre is set to reprise John Stewart in Man of Tomorrow, so Lanterns will be an integral chapter that sets the stage for the DCU’s future. It’s shaping up to be a distinct entry to the DCU canon, and hopefully it lives up to its potential.
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Image courtesy of Tor Books/Macmillan -
Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme
