Despite occupying a significant role in the larger cosmic side of the DC Universe, the Green Lantern Corps have never really gotten to shine in live-action the same way characters like Batman and Superman have. John Stewart was a mainstay of the DC Animated Universe, appearing in shows like Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, but the character has thus far never appeared in the flesh on-screen; his predecessor, Hal Jordan, was the lead of 2011’s Green Lantern, a superhero movie that to this day ranks as one of the worst in the genre. Since then, the Emerald Knights have yet to return to theaters or television in live-action, save for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo from an unnamed Lantern in both the 2017 theatrical version as well as Zack Snyder’s cut of Justice League.
However, that’s set to change with the debut of the upcoming TV show Lanterns, the fifth project from the burgeoning DC Universe franchise. After technically kicking off with 2025’s Superman, James Gunn’s newest attempt at an interconnected DC Comics cinematic universe has been rapidly expanding, and the series is just one of several planned to lay the groundwork for the rest of the universe’s first “chapter.” Alongside reintroducing John Stewart and Hal Jordan, Lanterns will presumably introduce other key aspects of the Green Lantern mythos like the Guardians of the Universe and the concept of the emotional light spectrum…as well as a classic Green Lantern villain that has yet to debut in live-action.
