Every Green Lantern Confirmed In The DC Universe

James Gunn has launched the DC Universe with a focus on obscure characters, like those in Creature Commandos, and some of DC’s biggest, like in Superman. The franchise’s first movie confirmed the existence of the Green Lantern Corps, whose members protect the cosmos in the brightest days and darkest nights with the help of their incredible power rings.

After seeing a glimpse of a Green Lantern’s capabilities in the DC Universe (and how it differed from past iterations of the members), Lanterns will put a greater emphasis on the group. The intergalactic concept has a surprisingly grounded story for the series, as two members investigate a death in Nebraska. But Gunn has teased how important Lanterns is to the DCU’s overarching story.

While the show is still months away (as it releases in August), it’s already helped increase the Corps’ numbers. There are a number of new Green Lanterns set to make their DCU debuts in Lanterns, while another is returning. And there’s at least one member of the Corps confirmed to be among the ranks, even if the show or future DCU movies/shows never include them.

5

Hal Jordan

Lanterns will introduce DC’s most well-known member of the Corps through Hal Jordan. For the purposes of the DCU, he’s a veteran of the space patrol group who has long served as Earth’s protector. That’s evident with the shape of his Green Lantern suit. Hal will be tasked with training a new recruit to the Corps in the series.

DC has been telling stories with Hal since 1959, when John Broome and Gil Kane created him. He’s a pilot who becomes the guardian of Sector 2814 after receiving the power ring from the Guardians of the Universe. Hal has been a central figure in the Green Lantern Corps for nearly 70 years, and he’s often a fixture of the Justice League, too.

Lanterns is bringing Hal to the DCU with Kyle Chandler playing him. The actor is best known for his prior TV roles in Bloodline and Friday Night Lights, for which he won an Emmy. He’s also been in movies like The Wolf of Wall Street, Godzilla vs. Kong, and The Rip.

Chandler becomes the second actor to play Hal in live-action, following in Ryan Reynolds’ footsteps. Hopefully, this proves to be a more well-received interpretation of Hal than Reynolds had in 2011’s Green Lantern.

4

John Stewart

Joining Hal as the co-lead of Lanterns is John Stewart. He is the recruit to the Corps whom Hal will train. As John is just starting out on his superhero journey when the show takes place, he’ll still very much be figuring out how to utilize his new abilities, once Hal allows him to use a power ring, that is.

John Stewart has been part of the DC mythology in the comic books since the early 1970s. He was created by Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams. He is one of DC’s earliest Black superheroes. John has since become a fan-favorite character and a routine member of modern Justice League lineups.

Aaron Pierre will play John in Lanterns and beyond. He’s best known for headlining Netflix’s action-thriller Rebel Ridge. Other notable roles include GOAT, Mufasa: The Lion King, Genius, and The Underground Railroad. It’s not his first DC role, though, as he played Dev-Em in Krypton, too.

Pierre becomes the first actor to play John in live-action. Technically, Wayne T. Carr was cast in the role for Zack Snyder’s Justice League, but he was cut from the movie. Now, this will become Pierre’s role to define.

3

Guy Gardner

While we wait for Hal and John’s DCU debuts, there is one Green Lantern the franchise has already brought to life: Guy Gardner. Introduced in Superman, Guy is a member of Maxwell Lord’s Justice Gang. He’s frequently worked alongside Superman in the past and is established as a protector of Sector 2814, alongside Hal.

Guy’s power was on full display throughout Superman, as he created various constructs using the power ring to fight the Kaiju in Metropolis, shield Superman from the press, and create a giant hand to swat away Boravian soldiers. As we last saw him in Peacemaker season 2, Guy was among the group actively searching for new enhanced individuals to join the Justice Gang.

DC has been utilizing Guy in some fashion since 1968, when he was created by John Broome and Gil Kane. In addition to serving with the Corps, he’s also been a member of the Justice League and Justice League International at times in the comics and other media. Guy has also been a part of the Red Lantern Corps in recent years.

Guy is portrayed in the DCU by Nathan Fillion. He is confirmed to appear in Lanterns, which will mark his third appearance in the shared universe. Fillion is best known for his roles in The Rookie, Castle, and Firefly. He’s also a close friend of Gunn’s, which has kept them working together since 2008, including as T.D.J. in The Suicide Squad.

Fillion is the first actor to play Guy Gardner in live-action, and he should continue to get the opportunity to play him even after Lanterns.

2

Ch’p

In a surprise, it’s also confirmed that the Green Lantern Corps’ squirrel-like member known as Ch’p exists in the DCU. The Lanterns trailer includes a moment where John asks his mentor if he talks to any other Lanterns, which brings Hal to say that “one of them is a f***ing squirrel.”

This can only be a reference to Ch’p, a member of the Corps who has existed since 1982, after he was created by Paul Kupperberg and Don Newton. However, Ch’p is not technically a squirrel; he is an alien from the planet H’lven who just happens to look like one of the Earth creatures. The squirrel Green Lantern protectors sector 1014 in the comics.

It’s unclear if Ch’p will be in Lanterns or if this will serve as the only cheeky reference to the hero. Should he appear, it will mark Ch’p’s first appearance in live-action. But a version of the character was previously voiced by Diego Luna in DC League of Super-Pets.

1

Sinestro (Former)

It is also known that Lanterns will bring Sinestro to the DCU. He is Hal’s former mentor and will be portrayed as a former member of the Green Lantern Corps rather than someone who is still an active member of the crime-fighting group.

Sinestro is one of the biggest characters in the Green Lantern mythos, as he is typically the main villain of the superhero. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane in 1961, the red-skinned Korugarian is the leader of the Sinestro Corps. He’s an incredibly powerful foe with the aid of his yellow power ring and is regarded as one of DC’s greatest villains. And just like in the show, Sinestro was Hal’s mentor in the comics.

Although he was not seen in the Lanterns trailer, it is confirmed that Ulrich Thomsen will play Sinestro in the show. The Danish actor was previously in shows like The Blacklist and The New Pope. His Hollywood movie credits include Hitman, The Thing, and The Notebook, but he has a number of award-nominated performances in Danish films like Brothers, Fear Me Not, and The Commune.

Thomsen becomes the third actor to portray Sinestro in live-action, joining Charlie Callas from Legends of the Superheroes and Mark Strong from 2011’s Green Lantern. It’s expected that Lanterns will be the first of many appearances Sinestro makes within the DC Universe, allowing him to become one of the franchise’s biggest threats.