James Gunn’s DCU may be heading toward a major Green Lantern shake-up, but the bigger story may not be about Guy Gardner losing his place. Instead, ‘Lanterns’ could finally give John Stewart the moment that turns him from a reluctant recruit into one of Earth’s most important heroes.
John Stewart May Finally Claim The Ring
Aaron Pierre’s John had a lot to lose by being in the series. The Guardians had previously allowed him to take over as Hal Jordan many years ago, but John declined. That led to Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner being Earth’s next active Lantern. Now, however, everything has changed.
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The secret is the power ring that was once Hal Jordan’s. John already made tremendous efforts to keep Hal conscious with the Halogram, even expending some of the ring’s power in the process. Guy could be a key component in that situation if he is required to use another Lantern’s power source to restore it.
However, the turning point may be when John chooses to overcome the responsibility that he avoided years ago. It would make his travels in ‘Lanterns’ feel more personal. John wouldn’t just be replacing Hal or be Guy’s replacement. He would now be taking on the mantle of Green Lantern himself. And that could explain why Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart is set to appear in ‘Man of Tomorrow’.
‘Man Of Tomorrow’ Could Introduce A New Lantern Dynamic
John becoming an active Green Lantern before ‘Man of Tomorrow’ would give James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ sequel another established hero without needing to spend the movie explaining his origins. But more importantly, Guy Gardner doesn’t have to go away.
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DC Comics has always had multiple Green Lanterns active at once, and the DCU could follow that trend. Guy and John could have a very interesting chemistry together, as they don’t appear to get along very well at all.
Guy’s loud personality and John’s more serious approach would naturally clash, giving the DCU a new superhero partnership with plenty of tension and humor.
So perhaps the actual change to come out of ‘Lanterns’ isn’t about who replaces whom. It might be the story of John Stewart finally taking up the mantle he previously turned down, and finding out that the DCU is not just for one Green Lantern.
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