Back in the fabled DCEU, we heard about LANTERNS. Of course, in the Zack Snyder days, the movie or TV series was called Green Lantern Corps, but let’s not go there. It’s too sad.
With the end just on the horizon for the SAG-AFTRA strike, it’s time to talk progress. And since James Gunn‘s DCU Phase One: Gods and Monsters is kicking off in Spring 2025, that’s all there is to discuss.
On the rambunctious but respected r/DCEULeaks page, there is a verified claim about our favorite green machine protectors guild.
According to the page’s moderators, Ozark showrunner Chris Mundy (also a writer and producer for two of the three Criminal Minds iterations, the OG and Suspect Behavior) has been tapped as LANTERNS showrunner.
Both Criminal Minds (CBS/Paramount+) and Ozark (Netflix) are solid watches with dedicated fandoms. If this is legit (and considering DCEULeaks’ track record, there’s no reason to believe it’s not), this is fantastic news.
Mundy understands dramatic television and how to develop an ongoing storyline while parsing out episodic bangers. That’s the winning formula for a CBM series — make us come back for more and keep up with the character arcs.
Other than a showrunner, what else do we know about LANTERNS?
Leaving the Green Light On For Us
Green Lantern has been around since 1940. The “Green Lantern Corps” was shown in 1959 during the Silver Age of Comics. There have been numerous Lanterns with individual backstories, connections to the greater purpose, and personalities that would be fascinating the explore.
- Hal Jordan
- John Stewart
- Guy Gardner
- Kyle Rayner
- Simon Baz
- Sinestro
- Kilowog
- Tomar-Re
- Jessica Cruz
- Abin Sur
Thanks to the vivid imagination of those four creators credited underneath that image, a TV series is certainly the best way to go.
Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios could take their time, feature different lanterns, connect the dots, and eventually, bring out the different colors — Red, White, Blue, Black, Yellow (Sinestro) and there’s an IndiGo Tribe.
C’mon! LANTERNS is made for television. With James Gunn as puppeteer and (most likely) Chris Mundy navigating the characters, expectations are high.
LANTERNS: Here’s What We Know
(Source: DC Comics)
Before we go on, if you don’t understand why James Gunn is calling the series LANTERNS instead of Green Lantern Corps, it’s because there’s a master plan and all these colors matter.
Originally, only the “Green” Lantern Corps existed, but Geoff Johns envisioned a spectacular idea for the “Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum.” Each color represents a core emotion, much like “green” which was always symbolic of will or courage.
It’s superb to think Green could go gold with Sinestro, so why not? Hence, we have LANTERNS. If James Gunn and Geoff Johns (say what you will about him with Walter Ham-a-lama-ding-dong, Johns is a certifiable nerd savant) can do what they want with this HBO Max series, it’ll be fire!
(TRUST: Sinestro Corps and GOATed Lanterns storyline “Blackest Night” will be coming.)
Focus:
James Gunn has confirmed the series will focus (at least, the first season of it) on both John Stewart and Hal Jordan who work together to “uncover a dark mystery.”
Characters:
While we are still waiting for the men to fill the roles of John and Hal, we know nerd fave Nathan Fillion will be OG Lantern of Snark Guy Gardner in Superman: Legacy, the maiden voyage into Gunn’s and Safran’s DCU. That’s Gunn’s dude, who has been in Slither, Super, The Suicide Squad, and GOTG Vol. 3. Of course, he’ll be in LANTERNS too.
Release:
We know…well, everyone knows…the DCU doesn’t begin until July 11, 2025, with Superman: Legacy. If the newest “Who the hell are they” throng of comic characters from Gunn, The Authority (Grant Morrison’s Anti-Justice League–a perfect choice), are coming after Supes, then a TV series in between them is a lovely palate cleanser. Maybe November 2025?
