“Lanterns” is on its way. But what do you need to watch before it’s here?
The new HBO superhero series, created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King, is a more grounded and grittier take on the Green Lantern mythos than some fans may be used to. The show, which takes place in the DCU, features Green Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and trainee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) attempting to solve a potentially extraterrestrial mystery in Nebraska.
But many fans know that this show doesn’t mark the first appearance of the Green Lanterns in the DCU. Previously, Nathan Fillion starred in “Superman” as Guy Gardner, the second Earth Green Lantern from DC Comics (third if we’re counting Alan Scott, who was the first comic book character to be named Green Lantern but isn’t actually associated with the Green Lantern Corps).
So do you need to watch “Superman” before checking out “Lanterns” And is there anything else you should check out before the show premieres on Sunday? Read on to find out.
Do you need to watch “Superman” before “Lanterns”?
No, you do not need to watch “Superman” before you watch “Lanterns” (but you should, because it’s a great movie). Still, it might be helpful to learn a bit about Guy Gardner before you watch.
In that movie, Guy is both a Green Lantern and a member of Max Lord’s Justice Gang (Lord is portrayed by Sean Gunn, while fellow members Hawkgirl and Mister Terrific are played by Isabela Merced and Edi Gathegi respectively).
What does Green Lantern do in “Superman”?
Fillion is set to appear in “Lanterns” as Guy, a character created by John Broome and Gil Kane in 1968’s “Green Lantern #59.” Guy is traditionally one of the ruder, more brash Lanterns, a hardheaded space cop with a lot of will and arrogance to match.
These traits are carried over into Fillion’s adaptation of the character (as is Guy’s aggressive red-haired bowl cut) in “Superman.” Throughout the film, Guy makes several references to the Green Lantern oath, saying he takes his orders from the Guardians of the Universe (who oversee the Green Lantern Corps) very seriously. He never mentions Hal or John, nor does he go on any extraterrestrial adventures.
Is there anything else you should watch?
Don’t get mad it me, but it wouldn’t hurt to watch the Ryan Reynolds “Green Lantern” movie.
“Lanterns” pretty much throws viewers into the deep end, trusting that they can keep up with who these characters are and what they can do. As the GL trainee, John Stewart serves as a bit of an audience surrogate, but he’s also clearly familiar with this world and these powers.
Hal, meanwhile, is so far into his career that “Lanterns” doesn’t spend too much time on his origin at all. For all of its faults (and they are many), the “Green Lantern” film does a decent job at showing you all of the main beats of Hal Jordan’s story. Where did he come from? How did he get the ring? How does the ring work? Who is Abin Sur? What is Oa? Who is Sinestro? It’s certainly not required watching, but learning this story wouldn’t hurt if you’re a Green Lantern newbie.
If you want to learn more about the Green Lanterns, there are also a few animated shows and movies you could check out, like the series “Justice League” and “Justice League Unlimited” (which feature Phil LaMarr’s John Stewart as a main character) and the movie “Green Lantern: First Flight” which also shows the early days of Hal Jordan.
Or you can just go into “Lanterns” blind, as many viewers surely will.
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