HBO’s New Lanterns Show Hit With Major Backlash As Green Lantern Writer Blasts DCU Creator

Grant Morrison, one of the most beloved writers in the world of DC, and one of the many creators to have tackled Green Lantern, made their feelings known on Damon Lindelof’s recent comments about the Lanterns TV show now being called “Green Lantern.” Morrison shared the following their Substack:

Grant Morrison: TV writer/producer Damon Lindelof’s comments notwithstanding, the ‘Green’ in ‘Green Lantern(s)’ green is not ‘stupid’. Why does a writer attach himself to this kind of narrative if he thinks it’s fundamentally ‘stupid’? You don’t hand CSI scripts to patronising writers who condemn forensics experts and their haircuts as ‘stupid’, so why hire people who are ashamed and in denial about the comic book material they’ve been assigned to develop? Why don’t they turn down jobs they’re not suited for? It’s not like he needs the money, and Lindelof has proven that he can come up with his own ideas. What is this jockish dismissal of superhero conventions intended to prove anyway? Does Lindelof imagine it makes him seem less nerdy? It’s a bit too late for that, so what’s it all about? The only people who give a fuck about the Lanterns TV series are Green Lantern fans. Why alienate them at the start? That feels more like ‘stupid’.

‘Green Lanterns’ is a much more evocative and dramatic title than ‘Lanterns’, (just as ‘Raise the Red Lantern’ is a better movie title than ‘Raise the Lantern’), and anyone who can’t grasp why that is shouldn’t be anywhere near superhero stories. The show might even be good, but how much better could this stuff be if studios were willing to hire the right people for the job instead of phoning their embarrassed friends to water the source material down? Hollywood will die of insularity and inbreeding.

The original comments made by Lindelof came during an appearance on the Lovett or Leave It podcast, a comedy show, where he had jokingly stated, “It’s called Lanterns, because we all agreed that the ‘Green’ was stupid, so now it’s just Lanterns.” However, not long after the podcast episode made the rounds, his statement got strong reactions online, as he has now taken to Instagram to clear up his original statement.

Damon Lindelof: I have upset Grant Morrison, which means I have now pissed off MOST of the brilliant British/Scottish comics writers that I grew up idolizing. To quote the bard (Otis Redding), this is nobody’s fault but mine.

I made a dumb joke on a comedy podcast. I’m not going to bob and weave about context, the joke was dumb, the fandom is not. I owe them an explanation and a genuine reflection of my actual feelings.

The very first time I appeared on a ComicCon panel was for the Lost Pilot, back in the summer of 2004. I wore my favorite T-shirt as I had long grown out of my favorite underoos, those being the uniform of Hal Jordan, Green Lantern of Sector 2814. For a quiet, uncoordinated kid, there was nothing cooler than a hero whose superpower was his imagination. And green is not stupid, it is my lifelong favorite color and I have a questionnaire that I filled out in third grade to prove it. Green is fucking awesome.

More importantly, it would be a betrayal to everyone I worked for and alongside to say anything other than I was absolutely honored to be a part of the team that manifested the incredible construct that is Lanterns… because it was. I was sloppy and careless with my words, ironic considering I care so much about Hal, John and the entire Corps. I can and will do better to be worthy of the oath… until then, I’ll let the show speak for itself and I can’t wait for you all to hear what it has to say.

Lindelof executive produces the Lanterns show with Tom King, and showrunner Chris Mundy, as it will center on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, with Kyle Chandler portraying the seasoned hero while Aaron Pierre stars as the new Emerald Knight. The HBO drama marks a return for the Lost co-creator, after his succesful Watchmen TV show for them, which became an Emmy-winning entry for the studio.

Crossovers between the upcoming series and the DCU are already confirmed, as Pierre will be reprising his Lanterns role in the Man of Tomorrow movie, which begins shooting this year. So far, it is the only TV show from James Gunn’s franchise that is releasing this year.

The DCU’s Chapter 1: “Gods and Monsters” slate also has two theatrical films in store for the world in 2026. Supergirl will fly into theaters on June 26, while Clayface opens on October 26.

Lanterns premieres on HBO in August.