Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner has appeared in recent set photos of Superman wearing less green than most would expect. The DC Universe character is part of a large Superman cast that has been discussed for the past year. As casting confirmed numerous heroic characters, including Hawkgirl and Mr. Terrific, it seemed that an entire Justice League of pre-existing heroes was being setup in the new DCU. With recent set photos showing a potentially larger connection to LordTech and a larger universe, audiences have been discussing the possibilities that that reflects.

Launching an entirely new DC Universe has meant establishing a heightened world filled with colorful and exciting heroes from scratch. James Gunn’s universe appears to be built with many of those heroes already fighting crime, and establishing that has involved revealing many costumes. However, while Superman’s costume has made some confident for future reveals, other costumes, including Green Lantern’s, have caused some head-scratching. It is worth looking into why this new look is controversial.

Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner Look Seems To Repeat A Divisive DC Comic Design

Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern Sports A Familiar Haircut

Let’s be honest, Guy Gardner has always looked a little bit silly in DC comics. First appearing in 1968, the redheaded hero has generally been seen as a lesser Green Lantern, behind the likes of Hal Jordan and John Stewart. The most iconic images of the hero typically tend to show him sporting a bowl cut with a face and attitude that are not becoming of the most heroic figures in the DC Universe. While the comics have tended to change this hair occasionally, the less-flattering looks seem to be the ones that have stuck most with fans.

On Threads, James Gunn confirmed Nathan Fillion would be featuring Guy Gardner’s iconic bowl cut, and recent Superman set photos have finally unveiled the character’s look. In a surprisingly white suit, the actor is seen sporting an orange haircut that appears close to his comic book counterpart. With a few modern flourishes, Nathan Fillion’s suit seems distant from his comic book design, but his haircut appears lifted right from the pages.

Fan Reactions Show A Wide Range Of Green Lantern Costume Complaints

Green Lantern’s Costume Has Been Surprisingly Difficult To Get Right

Some love the look, others do not. Getting a Green Lantern costume correct has been difficult for DC through the years. In the Ryan Reynolds starring film Green Lantern from 2011, the suit was confusingly added entirely in post-production. Other than this, the character quickly appeared in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and in various television series and video games, all with different interpretations of the hero’s uniform. Generally, each iteration so far has been animated to match the extraterrestrial origins of the character.

Notably, there appears to be nothing extraterrestrial about the suit seen in recent set photos. While details may be added in post-production, as has been done with other realizations of the character, the suit Nathan Fillion wears does not appear to be unfinished. Some have noted that these suits may be a corporate take on superheroes and are supposed to look corporate and bland, but others also believe they just look cheap and silly.

Looking at other realizations, it is difficult to tell how the DCU’s Hawkgirl and Green Lantern will compare to the versions of the characters that appeared in the DCEU. Looking at the brief look audiences had of Green Lantern in Zack Snyder’s Justice League is undoubtedly a much different style than what is being shown in these set photos. However, all of that was created in post-production. As a result, it is difficult to fairly compare these set photos to any prior character adaptation.

Guy Gardner’s Main DCU Green Lantern Costume Might Be Totally Different

The LordTech Suit Is Unlikely To Be The Only One Guy Gardner Wears

Looking closely at Guy Gardner’s costume, it appears to share much in common with some of the other heroes revealed so far. Mr. Terrific, Hawkgirl, and Green Lantern all share a white chest to their uniform with an imprint of a logo that looks suspiciously like a J and an L. In addition, images have circulated showing LordTech posters that share this same logo. It seems a fair assumption that these heroes may be sponsored by Maxwell Lord’s company in the DCU, leading to theories of a Justice League International in Superman.

If this is the case, this uniform being the hero’s suit is likely only temporary. Green Lanterns are members of the Green Lantern Corps, and in general, their uniforms follow similar patterns within the organization. It seems likely that a disruption to state-sponsored superheroes may occur in the DCU. Especially considering Superman’s bright and colorful costume, a return to more classic materials and designs may follow after the events of this film. If Nathan Fillion persists as Guy Gardner in the universe, his outfit will undoubtedly change.

First looks at upcoming films are always difficult to assess, especially when they are provided without any effects or post-production completed on them. How these images appear now is different from how they will seem when they are realized in Superman next year. The outfit in which Nathan Fillion is seen in the film, based on the potential Justice League International connection, may only be a temporary step toward a more comic-accurate version of the costume in the DCU. It will be interesting to see how these characters are ultimately realized in Superman when it is released in 2025.