When Lanterns kicked off its promo by claiming that “only one” can wear the Green Lantern ring on Earth, most hoped it was just a bit of hyperbole on HBO’s part. Unfortunately, it’s a premise that the very series is based around. There might be multiple GLs protecting the planet in the comics, but in the new DC Universe, Earth really only has one interstellar guardian at a time. That stokes some tense competition between Earth’s first Lantern, Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), the ex-Marine poised to replace him. There’s also the matter of Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), who emerged as the sole Lantern in the present day in Superman.
Gardner’s role in Superman was confusing when the film hit theaters in 2025, but it’s even more so now that the “one ring” rule is actually canon in the DCU. As fans tuning in to Lanterns already know, the series is set partially in the past, following Hal as he reluctantly trains John to take over his duties. The series establishes a clear timeline for Hal’s tenure as the Lantern: he served from the early ’90s through the 2010s. So how (and when) does Guy come to inherit the ring — and why isn’t John next in line?
