10 Must-Have Requirements For The DCU’s Green Lantern Costumes

DC is taking another shot at a live-action Green Lantern adaptation with Lanterns, and if their past attempts have shown anything, it’s that they need to get Green Lantern’s costume right. Between Lanterns and Guy Gardner’s appearance in Superman, the DCU already has three Green Lanterns. Each of these Lanterns has their own unique costumes that have been reimagined a lot in DC Comics, so the DCU will have a lot of inspiration to choose from.

A few different Green Lanterns have appeared in live action before. Most famously, Ryan Reynolds played Hal Jordan Green Lantern. However, the movie and its costume was so poorly received that Reynolds ended up mocking it in Deadpool. A Green Lantern was also briefly seen in Justice League as well as Zack Snyder’s Justice League, but the character wasn’t wearing the typical Green Lantern uniform. Superman will be the first time since 2011 that one of Earth’s Green Lanterns will be on the big screen, and there are some steps DC should take to get the costumes right.

10
Guy Gardner Needs His Collared Jacket

Guy Gardner First Appeared In Green Lantern #59 (1968)

In DC Comics, Guy Gardner has one of the more distinctive Green Lantern costumes, wearing what looks like a green sleeveless leather jacket with huge collars – a design reminiscent of a biker or a greaser. Guy’s Green Lantern costume does look a little dated, so it’s easy to imagine a studio executive wanting something a bit more toned down, especially since Guy will be the first Green Lantern in the DCU. However, DC should keep Guy’s bolder look.

The fact that Guy Gardner looks like someone who was trying to be cool decades ago is the perfect encapsulation of his character. Guy often acts so tough, it’s hard not to feel like he’s putting on a show. He can be very effective comic relief, but he can also back up his big attitude when it matters. Keeping Guy’s Green Lantern costume as loud as the character himself would be the right move for the DCU.

9
John Stewart’s Green Lantern Costume Should Be More Reserved

John Stewart First Appeared In Green Lantern #87 (1971)

John Stewart is a bit more reserved than Hal Jordan, and certainly more toned down than Guy Gardner. Often, his Green Lantern suit is similarly low-key to reflect his more reserved nature. John’s most iconic look is a mostly black suit with green running along his shoulders and down to his chest. Recreating this look in the DCU’s Lanterns wouldn’t just set John apart from Hal and Guy in a visual way, as it would also be a visual cue of his personality differences.

In a lot of ways, John is a more mature character than Hal or Guy. He takes his responsibility as a Green Lantern very seriously, and tries to do so without taking unnecessary risks. Giving him a costume that reflects this would be a good way for DC to immediately show they understand what sets John apart from his fellow Green Lanterns. It would also be reminiscent of John’s Green Lantern costume from the Justice League cartoon.

8
Hal Jordan’s Costume Should Keep It Simple

Hal Jordan First Appeared In Showcase #22 (1959)

Hal Jordan wasn’t DC’s first Green Lantern, as Alan Scott has that title. However, Hal was the first version of the character to be part of the Green Lantern Corps, since the Alan Scott version of the character had a completely different backstory. This means that Hal is often seen as the standard for what a Green Lantern is, the foundation that others have built off of. With that in mind, it would make sense to give Hal Jordan a simpler costume, to signify his role as the first Green Lantern from Earth.

This would also be in keeping with Hal’s appearance in the comics, which typically sticks to a pretty basic Green Lantern design. Hal’s typical costume is mostly green with black sleeves and the Green Lantern logo dead center on his chest. The DC hero’s Green Lantern costume is likely the one most audiences are familiar with, so even viewers that aren’t hardcore comic fans will easily be able to understand Hal’s role as the more typical Green Lantern character.

7
The Green Lantern Suits Should Be Practical (Not Fully CGI)

DC Has Been Harshly Criticized For The Fully CGI Suit In Green Lantern (2011)

A Green Lantern’s costume is technically a hard-light construct created by their power ring. This is likely why 2011’s Green Lantern made the choice to have Ryan Reynolds’ version of Hal Jordan in a completely CGI suit. While this did make the suit look more like it was made out of light, it didn’t really work on screen. One reason is that the suit has strange lines that makes it look like the audience is peering through Hal Jordan’s skin at his muscle fibers. Reynolds also frequently looks like a floating head due to the suit being fully animated.

Although the costumes are made of light in the comics, they still look like actual material. Lanterns would be smart to lean closer to the depiction in the comics, and give the actors playing Hal and John actual clothes to wear, and the same goes for Nathan Fillion in Superman. This would make the characters feel more present in scenes, and cut down on the need for special effects overall, allowing the VFX team more time to focus on creating the other elements of the world.

6
Green Lantern Suits Should Have Some CGI

Green Lantern’s Costume Should Glow Since It’s Made Of Light

Though it is important that the DCU avoid going full CGI for its Green Lantern costumes, that doesn’t mean they should over-correct and not use any visual effects on them at all. Because Green Lantern costumes are made of light, they should glow at least a bit. Not only would this stay consistent with the character’s backstory, it could also create some interesting visuals.

Lanterns is supposed to be a mystery story set mostly on one planet according to the plot details that have been revealed so far. This means Hal and John will likely be poking around in some dark locations looking for clues. Having their suits emit some amount of light would be a good way to make the characters stand out against dark backdrops, and would serve as a good visual metaphor of how Green Lanterns are supposed to be a light in the darkness for the people they protect.

5
Green Lantern Rings Should All Be The Same

The Green Lantern Ring First Appeared In All-American Comics #16 (1940)

For both visual and character reasons, having each of the Green Lanterns in their own unique uniform makes a lot of sense. However, one aspect of their costumes that should be consistent is the Green Lantern ring itself. Green Lantern rings aren’t unique to each user, but instead a standard issue ring created by the Guardians of the Universe and distributed to those deemed worthy. New rings aren’t made for new members. Instead, new Green Lanterns inherit the rings of their predecessors when they die. Since new rings aren’t being made, they should all look the same.

How the Green Lantern ring looks has changed a bit over the years. Sometimes, the lantern logo is smaller and inside a circle. Other times the ring is just a large lantern shape with a band behind it. While there have been different interpretations over the years, it doesn’t really matter which design the DCU decides to go with. What’s more important is that they keep the ring designs consistent within the DCU.

4
DC Should Color Swap At Least One Lantern

There Are 10 Different Colors Of Lanterns In DC Comics

Originally, the Green Lantern Corps was the only organization in DC Comics that used a power ring. Over time, villains like Sinestro and Star Sapphire were retconned to use different colors of light on what is known as the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum. Each color on the spectrum represents a different emotion, and each new Lantern Corps chooses its members based on their tie to that specific emotion. For example, Green Lanterns are chosen for their willpower, while Red Lanterns are chosen for their rage.

Each of the main Green Lanterns from Earth has spent at least some time wearing a different colored ring. Swapping one of the main Green Lanterns to a different color can be a good way to accentuate the parts of their personalities that make them different. Guy Gardner, for example, has been a Red Lantern from time to time. John Stewart was chosen by an Indigo Ring at one point for his compassion. It is an easy way to characterize the different Lanterns with visuals, which could be helpful for quickly reintroducing their personalities in other DCU projects.

3
Hal Jordan Should Have His White Gloves

The Previous Live Action Hal Jordan Had Green Gloves

In DC Comics, Hal Jordan is typically shown wearing long white gloves as part of his Green Lantern costume. While not every artist has given Hal these gloves, they are a consistent aspect of his look, and were part of his very first costume. Aside from simply being loyal to the comics, giving Hal Jordan his gloves in Lanterns would also help set him apart from the previous live action version of the character.

Ryan Reynolds’ version of Hal Jordan was shown wearing green gloves. While this choice itself isn’t a problem, the DCU will probably want to distance themselves from that version of the character the best they can, given Green Lantern‘s poor reception. Having a distinctly different Green Lantern suit is one good way to do that visually. Hal having white gloves would also set his costume from John Stewart’s usual look, keeping them visually different when they share the screen in Lanterns.

2
Green Lantern Masks Should Have White Eyes

Comic Books Have Been Using White Eyes Since The Phantom First Appeared In 1936

For a long time, comics have been using white eyes in masks. However, they are rarely seen in live action, likely due to the restrictions they put on an actor’s ability to emote properly. Only recently have any live-action versions of superheroes attempted to make this classic look work, but it has started to be more successful. Perhaps the best example of white eyes being used effectively is in the Deadpool movies. Using visual effects, Deadpool is still able to show his emotions thanks to artists digitally moving his eyes to match his facial expressions.

Hal Jordan wears what’s known as a domino mask, which is the type of mask Robin typically wears. These masks can be very restrictive on an actor’s face, even with the eyes cut out, because they are typically made of a rigid substance. While VFX could be used to manipulate the mask, it would likely look unnatural if the actor’s eyes are still visible underneath, since it would be difficult to manipulate the mask and not the eyes. By giving Green Lantern white eyes, DC could allow him to emote similarly to Deadpool or Spider-Man while keeping his mask.

1
Every Green Lantern Uniform Should Have The Logo Somewhere

Green Lanterns Typically Have The Green Lantern Corps Logo On Their Chest

Like most superheroes, the Green Lanterns have their own unique symbol. Hal Jordan and John Stewart typically have the logo in the dead center of their chest, while Guy Gardner’s is sometimes a bit off to the side due to the lines of his coat. Regardless, the symbol is always prominently displayed, making it very easy to recognize a Green Lantern whenever they appear.

This makes sense in the universe of DC, since a Green Lantern costume is meant to be a uniform. It also makes sense for audiences to be able to associate an easily recognizable symbol with a character. This is especially true for a shared universe like the DCU, where Green Lanterns will be popping up in other projects like the DCU Superman movie. While Lanterns will likely create its own unique versions of the Green Lantern costume, DC should include a prominent logo regarldess of whatever other choices are ultimately made.