The initial trailer of ‘Lanterns’ has finally come, and it provides the fans with the first actual glimpse of the DC Universe version of the legendary Green Lantern Corps. Rather than bending towards cosmic spectacle, the series seems to be grounded. The main focus lie on veteran Lantern Hal Jordan and a rookie recruit, John Stewart, investigating a mysterious death in rural America.
However, with the darker tone and the slow-burning mystery, the trailer silently poses an interesting question regarding another Green Lantern that has already been introduced into the DCU.
‘Lanterns’ May Be Hiding A Key Connection To Superman’s Green Lantern
‘Superman’ viewers are aware that there is already a very visible Lantern in the world. The one we saw on Earth, and his absence in the trailer, is hard to overlook. Guy Gardner, portrayed by Nathan Fillion, was the first Green Lantern viewers encountered in the DCU. Gardner also appeared in Superman as a member of the Justice Gang, a superhero team financed by Maxwell Lord.
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Cocky, loud, and never afraid to get into a fight, Guy was instantly one of the more anarchic heroes. He even made a brief appearance in ‘Peacemaker’ season 2, where he assisted in recruiting for Lord. Since he is an active hero on Earth, it would be reasonable to expect Hal Jordan and John Stewart to mention him at least.
However, the ‘Lanterns’ trailer does not feature Guy and mentions him not once. Rather, Hal goes as far as to say that John will be the sole human Lantern, implying that the rest of the Corps are aliens. The line itself has caused a speculation spurt among fans.
What Guy Gardner’s Absence Could Signify
The fact that Guy is not present in the trailer has a number of potential reasons, and each of them creates a different impression of how ‘Lanterns’ fits into the overall DCU timeline.
The easiest option is that the show is set in the pre-Superman events. In that case, it is possible that Guy has not gotten his power ring yet, which would be the reason why Hal refers to John as the only human Lantern in training.
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The other possibility is that Hal has not met Guy yet. Being a veteran Lantern and spending most of his time off-world, Hal might not be very aware of what is going on with the newest heroes on Earth. Naturally, there is also a more comic theory: Hal is fully aware of who Guy Gardner is, and just does not want to admit that he is a real Lantern.
The omission is intentional, whatever the truth might be. And should ‘Lanterns’ ultimately tell how Guy Gardner fits into the story of Hal and John, it might be one of the most valuable connections between the cosmic adventures of the DCU and the world.
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