While the DC Universe is still growing, HBO Max’s new ‘Lanterns’ series indicates that its heroes have been around for a lot longer than anyone thought.
‘Superman’ brought metahumans and superheroes to life for the audience, but ‘Lanterns’ seems set to reveal the true depths of that history.
Hal Jordan’s Past Hints At A Long-Established Hero Era
The most interesting thing that comes out of ‘Lanterns’ is the status of Hal Jordan. Hal is not being introduced as a rookie hero. Rather, he seems to be an old hand at Green Lantern, in the late stages of his career. The character’s grey appearance and scenes suggest years of service to Earth and the universe, giving him a sense of weight and gravity.
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Just from the promotional clips, it’s clear that Hal has already had a lot of adventures before the series even starts. That’s quite a change from the standard superhero formula, in which viewers typically see a normal person turn into a legendary hero.
That’s a breath of fresh air, right? The DCU is not going to go over the same ground again and again with the same origin stories. This time, it assumes that viewers will be able to get into a world that is already in motion. It expands the universe, making it feel older and more lived in since the beginning.
What This Means For The Future Of The DCU
The move also poses intriguing questions about the franchise’s future. If the characters of Hal Jordan, Superman, Hawkgirl, and Guy Gardner have been around for years, then there could have been a lot of significant events that occurred long before viewers got a chance to see them.
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There may already be some iconic rivalries, big battles, and career-defining moments in the history of DCU. This presents opportunities and challenges. The franchise can avoid the repetitive setup and concentrate on new stories.
But it also needs to have good justification for reuniting these veteran superheroes for more substantial team-ups, like the inevitable Justice League. Nevertheless, that is what makes the DCU unique.
Instead of creating a universe from scratch, James Gunn is throwing his audience into a universe with legends, history, and mysteries. If ‘Lanterns’ lives up to that promise, then it will be one of the franchise’s biggest projects ever. It will also be the first time that the DC Universe has been seen in such a clear light, even before Superman.
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