‘Lanterns’ first look has everybody convinced Ryan Reynolds is green with envy

The DCU has been quiet lately, but a slew of announcements confirm that things are cooking up nicely in the James Gunn-steered ship. One particular property that remained shrouded in mystery was the Green Lantern franchise. Over time, confirmed casting rumors and an announced HBO TV series brought some clarity. But now, we finally have a clear glimpse of what the show will actually look like.

The last time fans watched a Green Lantern Corpsmen in live-action, it was the infamous stinker that is the 2011 movie starring Ryan Reynolds. Audiences didn’t receive the film at all well, and Reynolds spent a decade making self-deprecating jokes about the miscalculation. That made it difficult for anyone to figure out how to revive the franchise and DC’s behemoth issues kept Zack Snyder and other creatives too occupied to crack the code. At long last, that’s all in the past now. Gunn is in charge, and while some fans have loudly voiced their distrust, he clearly has an overarching plan.

And, on paper, it looks like he’s outdone himself. According to Vanity Fair, DC has teamed up with some of the best writers behind Lost, Ozark, True Detective, and other shows that became cultural touchstones of the 21st century. It goes without saying that they opted to ground the show on Earth, specifically Nebraska. The already announced Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre will play the most famous Lanterns, Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively.

Fans had long clamored to see Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, and it seems the producers at DC not only listened but agreed. Chris Mundy, best known for creating Ozark and serving as an executive producer on True Detective, had nothing but praise. “Kyle has been so ridiculously good in so many things. He’s also very funny, in a dry-wit way, which is important for the character. He’s going to make us all look really good, basically.” Mundy also described the show as a pulpy detective story that even those unfamiliar with Green Lantern Corps lore can enjoy. The first look had tongues wagging, as expected.

The first look at DC Studios’ ‘LANTERNS’ has been released.

Now in production. pic.twitter.com/30CvhqSQSB

— One Take 🎬 (@OneTakeNews) February 27, 2025

The image was so subtle that some fans didn’t even notice the green ring on Chandler’s finger. One fan was already passionately declaring that this was not their Green Lantern.

That doesn’t look like Lanterns.

Wheres the Lantern Corps? Wheres Space? Wheres the Lantern Rings?

— SYMBIOTE LEGEND (@SYMBIOTE_LEGEND) February 27, 2025

Another fan voiced the common complaint that the characters look nothing like they do in the comics.

Love the way they don’t look like Hal or John at all

— Adrien 🇵🇸 (@A_ALeeder) February 27, 2025

Some fans just joked around that Ryan Reynolds has to be jealous of this.

Is @VancityReynolds jealous?

— Colin Craig (@colincraigcrtv) February 27, 2025

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom; some fans genuinely seemed excited by the first-look image.

I'm glad this is a series, and the casting is perfect!

— 🖇🅽🆃🅷🖤🅽🆈 (@MasterOfAnthony) February 27, 2025

Of course, as we can see there are fans who love the mythology. Those who can faithfully recite the Green Lantern oath word for word have understandably been worried that the story is being ruined by how understated the marketing has been so far. Some fear the brand is being cheapened by relegating it to TV. That’s where Lost showrunner Damon Lindelof comes in. Not only has he shared that he’s a fan of Alan Moore’s deep-cut Green Lantern Corps short stories, but he’s also one of the few showrunners to win an Emmy for a comic book TV series. His adaptation of Watchmen — a notoriously tricky source material — earned four Primetime Emmys.

Adding to all that, renowned comic book author Tom King is the brains behind the show. Production has just started, and experts in each area are handling every element. For those worried the show will feel too isolated from the greater DCU, Mundy reassures them that, while the show will focus on its own story, “other characters and aspects of the lore are going to show up or be name-checked.” Besides, at least one Lantern has already appeared in the Superman trailer.

Green Lantern has always been one of my favorite DC properties, and with a lineup like this for HBO’s Lantern, I can barely hide my excitement.