In James Gunn’s Superman, we met Earth’s resident Green Lantern, Guy Gardner, played by Nathan Fillion. The loudmouth Lantern of Earth, famous for his attitude and bowl cut, seems to be the only human member of the Green Lantern Corps. This has left fans confused, who assumed that John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) would inherit the ring from Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) in Lanterns. Now, Lanterns finally explains why neither Hal Jordan nor John Stewart is Green Lantern in 2025, and Guy is. Even if Guy himself doesn’t appear in the show just yet.
Episode 5 of Lanterns Explains Why Neither Hal nor John Is the Current-Day Green Lantern of the DCU
In episode five of Lanterns, the 2016 portion of the story comes to its conclusion. The aliens led by Antaan attack the town of Rushville, Nebraska, in order to bring the Manhunter who committed genocide to justice. After being left in a burning car before the attack by Hal Jordan, Zoe Macon (Poorna Jagannathan) rescues John Stewart. This confirms her true identity as the Manhunter, who has been hiding in Rushville. She heals him, and John pretends to agree to kill Hal Jordan and take his ring. John gets into a brutal fistfight with Hal for the ring at the motel, leaving him battered, but not dead. But leaving Hal alive was bait, and he then uses his sniper skills to kill the Manhunter. He then takes the power ring off of Hal’s finger.
In the wreckage of Rushville, John Stewart meets his superior, the Guardian of the Universe known as Lianna (Laura Linney). She congratulates him on a job well done, and tells him the ring “looks good on him.” But John, having completed the mission the Guardian sent him on, feels like she manipulated him the whole time. Despite being groomed his whole life for the role of Green Lantern of Sector 2814, both by the Guardians and his parents, John angrily rejects the power ring. He then leaves Rushville and his supposed destiny behind.
Guy Gardner Is the Third Human from Earth Selected as Green Lantern
At this point, the Guardians clearly no longer want Hal Jordan in the role of Earth’s resident Lantern. And with John Stewart rejecting the ring, that means they will need to find someone else to wear it. This finally explains why, in 2025’s Superman, Guy Gardner is the bearer of the ring. The Guardians simply went with their third option, an arrogant gym teacher with no fear. Someone who will obey them without question. At some point between 2016 and 2025, the Guardians of the Universe are going to make Guy Gardner an offer he can’t refuse.
Nathan Fillion Will Appear in Lanterns as Guy Gardner in Episode 6
We know that Nathan Fillion appears in at least one episode this season in full Green Lantern regalia. The clip HBO Max has released shows him visiting John Stewart in jail, and John has a goatee. We already know that John will have facial hair in the 2026 portion of the show. So one assumes that we are jumping ahead in time, skipping Guy Gardner’s recruitment. He’ll already just be Earth’s resident Green Lantern by that point, and probably for some time already.
It’s Still a Mystery Why the Guardians Choose Another Green Lantern from Earth
Of course, the real question lies in why the Guardians would pick yet another human from Earth for the job of Green Lantern of this sector? Earth is a backwater world. The only reason Hal got the ring is that Abin Sur crashed on Earth when taking the Manhunter into custody. The ring sought the best available candidate in proximity. And the Guardians chose John partially to make up for the psychological damage done to his family when John Stewart Sr. passed on the offer out of fear. Why pick another headstrong human male for the job, and not go elsewhere in the galaxy? We have a feeling there will be many unanswered questions that will probably remain for a potential season two. But at least now we know why Guy is the DCU’s resident Lantern in the present, and neither of the series leads.
Lanterns drops new episodes every Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.