The DC Extended Universe continues to expand with numerous films and TV shows coming down the pipeline, like Black Adam and Blue Beetle. Yet, one of the most important and exciting factions of characters in DC Comics still hasn’t been formally integrated into the franchise.
The Green Lantern Corps protects the known Universe using their wits, bravery, and of course, their power rings fueled by their own willpower. A DCEU film, Green Lantern Corps., is supposedly in development and a Green Lantern tv show was also announced for HBO Max – though it is unknown if they connect. Nevertheless, there are several popular heroes and villains from across the entire Lantern spectrum who deserve to join the DCEU.
Green Lanterns Who Should Join The DCEU
John Stewart
The most obvious choice, given a deleted scene in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, would be John Stewart. He is the third person in the comics to become a Green Lantern for Earth and he already has an actor for the DCEU, Wayne T. Carr. Unfortunately, his introduction to the DCEU was cut in the aforementioned film. Had Synder’s ties with the franchise not been severed, John would’ve become a key figure in future films.
Nevertheless, there is still some hope as the decision to cut him was apparently made to save him for the Green Lanterns Corps. film. Since his introduction in 1972, he’s quickly become incredibly popular for his particular sense of creativity and connections to other heroes, like Hawkgirl.
Hal Jordan
Of course, the most well-known Green Lantern is Hal Jordan, though he is not the first. Hal was created as a reinvention of the Golden Age character Alan Scott – a JSA hero who also deserves to appear in the DCEU – and is a founding member of the Justice League. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Hal Jordan will eventually feature in the franchise in the future.
Hal Jordan would certainly add a missing element to the films from his rashness to his disrespect to authority, especially compared to Batman and Wonder Woman. Importantly, he has left the Green Lantern Corps at times, leading to the creation of John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and others. There is plenty to adapt from the comics to bring in Hal Jordan, whether in Green Lantern Corps. or films even further down the line.
Kilowog
John Stewart was not the only Green Lantern cut from Justice League. Instead of Henry Lennix’s cool cameo as Martian Manhunter visiting and warning Batman, it was originally going to be the Green Lanterns, Kilowog and Tomar-Re. The two are common allies to Hal, John, and the rest of Earth’s Green Lanterns, though the former is probably more widely known.
Like in Green Lantern, Kilowog would likely introduce a strict trainer of the Corps’ newest recruits. Including him, even in an expanded role beyond Green Lantern projects would be exciting in a way to feature more non-humanoid characters. It would not be that far of a stretch to include Kilowog in Earthly ordeals, perhaps in a Justice League sequel, given his associations with the team.
Kyle Rayner
Hal and John were eventually joined by many other Green Lanterns of Earth, including Kyle Rayner. His origins are interesting as he only happened upon becoming a Green Lantern. Hal Jordan, driven to darkness over his home’s destruction, decimated his fellow Green Lanterns. While most Green Lanterns are chosen from across the galaxy, Kyle happened to be in the right place at the right time, being chosen by Ganthet, the last Guardian.
Nevertheless, over the subsequent years, he consistently proved he deserved to be chosen. Importantly, Kyle’s also been granted a power ring from every Lantern Corps, fusing their powers to become a White Lantern, using life as power. His inclusion in the future of the DCEU seems inevitable, though still distant.
Jessica Cruz
One of the more recent recruits to the Green Lanterns serving Earth and Sector 2814 is Jessica Cruz. Unfortunately, her origins as a hero are tragic, having witnessed the brutal murder of her friends and her subsequent subjugation under the Ring of Volthoom. She became the new Power Ring as part of the Crime Syndicate, the multiversal evil counterpart to the Justice League.
However, she eventually learned to control her new powers and becomes a valued member of both the Green Lantern Corps and the Justice League. Given her connection thusly to the multiverse – something many DCEU fans expect to be incorporated even as soon as The Flash – including Jessica Cruz in a Green Lantern film or TV show seems logical.
Characters From Other Lantern Corps Who Should Join The DCEU
Sinestro
Even before Man of Steel and the inception of the DCEU as it is today, there was the much-maligned Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds. There were obvious intentions for the sequel, and while that never came to fruition, the fruit of its labors could be adapted to the DCEU in the case of a villain, Sinestro. He is arguably Green Lantern’s greatest enemy, a former ally turned archnemesis.
Importantly, he is the leader of the Yellow Lantern Corps aka Sinestro Corps, using the power of fear to combat his enemies. He would make for a compelling and likely villain for Green Lantern Corps. – and given his power and doctrine, it could add some exciting horror elements to the DCEU.
Star Sapphire
Like many a superhero, sometimes one’s love interest is also one of their greatest enemies – and that’s the case for Hal Jordan with Carol Ferris. She becomes Star Sapphire and for years she faced off against Green Lantern, though this was because she came under the influence of the queen of an alien race, the Zamarons (who wished to show that men are naturally inferior to women).
Her lore was expanded years later as the Star Sapphires became a Lantern Corp, channeling the power of love through their violet power rings. She was also relinquished of the queen’s spirit, so Carol could become a more heroic figure as a Star Sapphire. Were Hal Jordan to join the DCEU, Carol Ferris and her ilk would likely far behind.
Atrocitus
In the 2000s, DC’s cosmos and the lore of the Green Lanterns were expanded and became even more colorful with the introducions of the different Lantern Corps. One of the most important characters from said expansion is Atrocitus, the founder and leader of the Red Lantern Corps. Fueled by rage, this Corp terrorized the universe, and even corrupted some heroes to their cause, including Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, and Supergirl.
Interestingly, the Atrocitus and the Red Lanterns are not just antagonistic to the Green Lanterns, but they’ve also fought against Sinsetro and the Yellow Lanterns. This seems like a logical place to take the story in the DCEU and, as such, Atrocitus would play an important role (though probably farther down the line than others).
Razer
Kyle Rayner is not the only Lantern to unite the powers of multiple rings. Recently, in an episode of Young Justice, a character named Razer did as much with the Red Lantern’s power of rage and the Blue Lantern’s power of hope. Razer is an interesting case as he is an original creation in Green Lantern: The Animated Series. Yet, his appearance in Young Justice continues were the former left off, implying they exist in the same chronology.
Since he hasn’t appeared beyond these shows, his inclusion in the DCEU would be unexpected. However, it’s never fully out of the question. If anything, it could be a fun easter egg type of appearance in the background when the Red Lanterns arrive.
Black Hand
The creation of all the different Lantern Corps was all a precursor to their unification to fight the Black Lanterns. While the White Lanterns protect the Life Entity and the power of life, the Black Lanterns serve Nekron, the embodiment of death. Their power rings reanimate corpses as zombies and were led by William Hand aka Black Hand, an old adversary of Hal Jordan from even before Hand was granted a ring.
This arc, called Blackest Night, was exceptionally exciting as it saw many other iconic heroes from across DC like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, earning power rings so as to fight off the Black Lanterns. This storyline would be way down the line, needing to really help audiences understand all the other Corps first, but it seems to be a strong contender as the end of a Green Lantern trilogy in the DCEU.
