This article contains spoilers.
At the end of the HBO series “Lanterns,” John Stewart hovers in the air before flying off in a great sonic boom, his first act as the newly minted Green Lantern. This is more than just the typical hero’s exit; this is a culmination of a whole life spent preparing to wear the character’s coveted ring.
It’s an obvious ending, and the sight of John (played by Aaron Pierre) stiffly floating above the ground should seem too cheesy in a superhero show styled as a gritty buddy-cop story. And yet it resonates because this is John’s official introduction as a Lantern, a title we’ve watched him earn over the course of the series that ended Sunday. Over those eight episodes, “Lanterns” did the best job of portraying an increasingly common plot point in superhero stories: a Black character inheriting a white hero’s role.
Before John Stewart there was Sam Wilson (Captain America), Riri Williams (Ironheart, an iteration of Iron Man) and Miles Morales (Spider-Man, in the animated Spider-Verse), all of them Black heroes who’ve redefined the title they’ve inherited. We’ve had a smattering of other leading Black heroes, of course — Black Panther, Luke Cage, Wonder Man — but this type of baton-pass from one generation to the next is more interesting to observe. Promoting a Black character to the position of classic hero is not an easy feat, because the story must account for the inevitable difference of when a Black man or woman dons the mask, or outfit, or magical piece of jewelry, of the already beloved white hero before them.
Throughout “Lanterns,” Pierre elegantly embodies the stony determination of John Stewart; he’s statuesque, an imposing figure with an unwavering stare that seems to drink in everything around him. He knows he’s meant to be the next Green Lantern, the DC Comics hero first introduced more than 80 years ago who uses a ring to manifest objects in solid, 3-D form. After all, his origins weren’t a matter of happenstance; John has lived his life knowing that he will eventually wear the title.
As with Sam Wilson’s ascent to Captain America in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” a full series can be the most satisfying way to explore a character’s backstory and motivations moving into the role. “Lanterns” shows that when John was a baby, his father failed the test to become the next Green Lantern. When John’s mother, Bernadette, finds out her youngest son may have a chance to be a Lantern, she resolves to raise him to be fearless. He gets a gun instead of crayons for his fifth birthday. It means William Tell tests of courage and lots of casual childhood endangerment.
Terrible parenting aside, the most realistic — and relatable — part of this story about magical rings is that behind the Black hero is a Black mother demanding her son be honestly and equitably considered for a role of greatness. Jasmine Cephas Jones’s hard-as-nails performance paints Bernadette as not just John’s mother but his coach, his advocate and sometimes his first villain to overcome. She’s willing to be the bad guy because she knows he will need to do what our country has taught her is impossible: fit into a role already owned and defined by a white man.
Naturally, that white man, the Green Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler, with a lovably obnoxious performance), isn’t fond of a younger, more capable man filling his role. He disrespects John and initially dismisses him as dull and unimaginative. But John proves how capable he is, not just because of his military training and strategic mind but because of his creativity.
By Sunday’s finale, John has figured out for himself the kind of hero he needs to be. Green Lanterns are supposed to be fearless, so John has lived a life where he has tried to repress or dismiss his fears. But now he’s decided to adopt a ring and a lantern powered by both green and yellow light, symbolizing courage and fear. Becoming the Green Lantern was never as simplistic as taking over from Hal; at one point John has an opportunity to take the ring but rejects it after understanding how it will affect his humanity. When John reclaims the ring, he does so as the best version of himself. He has shaped his journey, and everything, down to the Lanterns oath, reflects that.
One aspect of the finale that agitated some fans was when John spoke the classic Lantern oath, but deviated from its famous lines to acknowledge his new autonomy: “In brightest day, in darkest night, I’ll embrace my fear, I’ll do what’s right. I choose this ring, I choose this fight, in service to this lantern’s light.” But the change is in line with the way the series is telling the story of a Black man walking — or flying — his own path. John Stewart’s appearance as one of the earliest Black heroes in comic book history forever changed the canon. So it’s fitting that in “Lanterns,” this John Stewart has changed the canon again.
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