For a universe that has spent much of its early life introducing characters, ‘Lanterns’ may finally be showing audiences the bigger picture. ‘Superman’ has already proved that the DCU is already filled with aliens, metahumans, government agencies and weird forces under the leadership of James Gunn.
Now, the show’s debut seems to be an indication that something is very strange about the Earth itself.
‘Lanterns’ Premiere May Have Secretly Revealed DCU’s Endgame
The series follows veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan and rookie John Stewart as they solve the mysterious alien murders in Rushville, Nebraska. However, the premiere subtly gives hints that may eventually tie into the bigger Gods and Monsters plot.
Related: ‘Lanterns’ May Have Just Introduced Superman’s Most Dangerous Rival In The DCU
The most obvious is Hal’s past with Abin Sur. A few years prior, the dying Green Lantern crashed on Earth and selected Hal as his replacement. Hal later became suspicious that the crash wasn’t an accident. It’s a pretty big concept to be putting in so early.
The Guardians of the Universe consider Earth to be an insignificant backwater planet, which is why it’s strange that Abin Sur would end up there and recruit a human. Yet Hal has always felt that something was coming, which is why he continued monitoring the area around Rushville.
Then, the show flashes ahead to 2026, and it gets even worse: Hal Jordan is dead. John Stewart and Sheriff Kerry Kane find his frozen, ringless body, and the investigation becomes much more personal and potentially much bigger.
Meanwhile, William Macon is shown protecting a mysterious piece of land with a militia seemingly trained to deal with extraterrestrials. There is clearly something going on under the surface, and the show is not afraid to not explain everything right away. That’s what makes ‘Lanterns’ interesting.
Could ‘Lanterns’ Be Setting Up Gods and Monsters?
The series’ alien conspiracy may grow to be more than just a one-season mystery. ‘Superman’ already showed a world struggling with the existence of powerful extraterrestrials, while ‘Peacemaker’ introduced growing government concerns surrounding metahumans.
In case you missed it: ‘Lanterns’ May Be The DCU Project That Changes Everything
Now ‘Lanterns’ has thrown in another twist: anti-alien paranoia. If that fear expands beyond Nebraska, Superman and Supergirl may one day be considered a threat, rather than a hero. This would be an interesting battle in the DCU without the need for another world-ending threat to come along.
However, the most intriguing idea is that the Earth itself is somehow significant in the cosmos. Perhaps the alien killings, Abin Sur’s arrival, Macon’s militia and Hal’s suspicions are all part of the same puzzle. If that is the case, ‘Lanterns’ may be the project that finally sheds light on what James Gunn’s DCU has been working on.
With the new universe introduced by ‘Superman’, ‘Lanterns’ may be the moment it finally starts telling us why this world matters.
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