If someone told me years ago that 2026 would be the point when Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern would seemingly garner more positive social media reactions than possibly any other point in its 15 years of existence, I might have assumed that person was lacking a proper amount of oxygen. Yet, that’s precisely the kind of perspective being shared online in the past week, following the first trailer released for the upcoming DCU TV show, HBO’s Lanterns. While I was personally intrigued by the far more adult and NSFW take on the cosmic Justice Leaguer that the promo delivered, I could easily understand that it was substantially different from what a lot of other fans were hoping to see. (Our own take on the trailer voiced concerns for the new direction.) Still, I guess I didn’t expect anything about this new project to cause audiences to suddenly look back on Martin Campbell’s 2011 with anything resembling nostalgia or respect. Arguably the biggest complaint being shared about the new trailer is the all-around lack of the color green, or at least any bright and vibrant uses of it, particularly when it comes to the costume shown. (HBO legit trolled fans over it after negative comments started rolling in.) The example shared on X below aligns with a bunch of other comments on the matter.
