Zack Snyder’s Justice League hit all the right notes with DCEU fans, but still needed the Green Lantern appearance many were expecting. Reaction to the long-awaited Snyder Cut has been enthusiastically positive, with the 4-hour epic unanimously considered a huge improvement upon the 2017 theatrical release. While completing his unseen version of Justice League, Zack Snyder shot an epilogue sequence set during the Knightmare timeline. Batman and his friends are trekking through a desolate future Earth where Darkseid reigns supreme, and Superman has been corrupted into his service. It’s a very exciting tease for a sequel that seems very unlikely to happen.
Despite pleasing fans and critics alike, Zack Snyder’s Justice League disproved long-standing rumors of a Green Lantern appearance. As proved recently by WandaVision, defying online speculation isn’t necessarily a bad thing and, sure enough, Zack Snyder’s Justice League succeeds even without the aid of Green Lantern. It’s also easy to see why Hal Jordan doesn’t cameo in the Snyder cut – Ryan Reynolds did a very bad thing in 2011 and the character’s cinematic stock is yet to completely recover. With a Green Lantern Corps. HBO Max TV series in the works, Snyder might’ve even been denied access to the Emerald Knight altogether.
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Nevertheless, the Snyder cut’s ending would’ve been improved by the presence of DC’s resident ring-bearer, both from an in-universe perspective, and with half an eye on the (potential) future of Snyder’s continuity.
Green Lantern Is The Only Missing Justice League Icon
![Justice League: Why The Snyder Cut Ending Needed Green Lantern](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Martian-manhunter-Knightmare-future-snyder-cut-.jpg)
Like every other superhero team, the Justice League’s membership is a ceaseless revolving door, but some DC characters will always be more closely associated than others. The League’s traditional lineup includes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter and, finally, Green Lantern. The first five heroes are all present and correct in the DCEU, and Snyder fixes Martian Manhunter’s absence by revealing Secretary Swanwick was the lean, green, shape-shifting machine all along. This leaves Green Lantern as the only glaring omission from the DCEU’s Justice League roster.
The omission is mostly down to 2011’s botched movie attempt. Arriving so close to the DCEU’s Man of Steel, Warner Bros. was understandably reluctant to rush-cast another Green Lantern after Reynolds, and didn’t have time to properly introduce the character before or during Justice League – especially with Aquaman, Flash and Cyborg to accommodate. It would’ve been impossible for Snyder to do the emerald superhero justice.
But Zack Snyder’s Justice League is designed to be a more complete vision of the DCEU, largely free from pesky studio restrictions. The Snyder Cut manages to address the Knightmare, Batman’s dynamic with Joker, Lois Lane’s baby, the Anti-Life Equation, and the whereabouts of the aforementioned Martian Manhunter, offering a wide snapshot of Snyder’s overarching DCEU plan. And yet, a recognizable Green Lantern remains AWOL, despite being integral to the titular comic book team, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League can’t help but feel incomplete as a result.
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Green Lantern’s Absence Is Unresolved
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Returning to the WandaVision comparison, many expected Mephisto to drop by in the MCU series. These theories were based on Scarlet Witch’s comic material and perceived “clues” in the show itself, but there was no irrefutable in-universe reason that the villain should actually feature. The same goes for most comic characters yet to debut on the big screen – viewers must simply assume these heroes haven’t been “created” yet, or haven’t made themselves known. But Green Lantern is different. According to DC lore, the Green Lantern Corps is an intergalactic police force, with a warrior designated to each sector of space. When one dies, their ring flies off to find a new owner, meaning there should be a Green Lantern ready to protect Earth from extraterrestrial trouble at any one time.
The Zack Snyder’s Justice League history lesson reveals the Green Lantern Corps’ Yalan Gur fought on Earth’s behalf during Darkseid’s first invasion, and the Knightmare shows a second Lantern (Kilowog) freshly defeated by Superman. But where did Kilowog’s power ring shoot off to after that? Someone out there, most likely an Earth survivor called Hal or John, must’ve inherited Kilowog’s job and is now ready and waiting to do battle against Darkseid. Snyder provides all the set up for an Earthling as the next Green Lantern, but stops short of paying those hints off with an actual cameo. Even a blurred-out, glowing green silhouette suddenly appearing to help Batman’s team fight Knightmare Superman would’ve been enough to confirm the Green Lantern Corps is not sitting idly by.
More Green Lantern in the Zack Snyder’s Justice League Knightmare epilogue could’ve also explained a curious moment from the history lesson sequence. After Yalan Gur’s death, the freed power ring lingers briefly around Darkseid, as if considering him a potential successor, before quickly speeding away, presumably very embarrassed by such a huge lapse in judgement. Bringing Darkseid face-to-face with another Green Lantern in the Snyder Cut’s Knightmare could’ve elaborated on why the power ring nearly settled on the stony finger of Uxas.
Green Lantern Is Key To Restoring The SnyderVerse
![Green Lantern Comic](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Green-Lantern-Comic.jpg)
Zack Snyder’s Justice League‘s Knightmare ending is one of the most elaborate (and effective) sequel set-ups in recent memory, giving rise to an ungodly amount of unanswered questions. Can Batman’s crew rewind time and prevent the apocalypse? Will Bruce get revenge for Robin and Harley Quinn by killing Joker? Can Superman be redeemed? Which post-apocalyptic barber cut Deathstroke’s hair? Unfortunately, these mysteries look destined to go unanswered, as Warner Bros. has already ruled out a continuation of Snyder’s DCEU. Fans will campaign regardless, and as proved by the Snyder Cut’s eventual realization, anything is possible if it gains enough mainstream traction and online momentum.
Related: Every Future Justice League Member Teased In The Snyder Cut
But if the key to #RestoringTheSnyderVerse is generating attention that cannot be ignored, Green Lantern would’ve been a useful addition. The inclusion of Deathstroke in Batman’s Knightmare team pays off the Lex Luthor post-credits tease, while Mera makes sense in terms of avenging Aquaman. Jared Leto’s return as Joker is gloriously twisted, but more about redeeming his Suicide Squad disappointment than setting up something new for the future. Throwing Hal Jordan or another Green Lantern into the mix would’ve given the SnyderVerse campaign a solid launchpad for future sequels. Neither Deathstroke nor Mera carries much mainstream clout, while Leto’s Joker shoulders a divisive legacy. Green Lantern is an instantly-recognizable figure to even the most casual observer, and a big-name DC superhero. Putting Hal Jordan in the Knightmare surely would’ve left audiences even hungrier for more SnyderVerse material.
Batman’s Knightmare Team Need More Firepower
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Kilowog and Yalan Gur were both unsuccessful in toppling Darkseid, but there’s a reason Steppenwolf waited until Earth was free from Kryptonians and Lanterns before making his move. When Zack Snyder’s Justice League catches up with Bruce’s new-look gang in the future, they’re desperately trying to elude Superman. Looking at the characters left standing, it’s not hard to see why. Unless Bruce is hiding some Kryptonite down his Bat-pants, he, Deathstroke and Joker will be virtually useless against the corrupted Clark Kent. Cyborg might’ve acquired a bigger cannon, but he and Flash fared badly against Supes when they fought post-resurrection, and Mera is no match for a Kryptonian either. If Batman’s Knightmare allies have any chance of getting past Superman and altering history, they need a Hal Jordan or John Stewart to take Kilowog’s ring and join the fight.
Fueled by the green power of will, Green Lantern has the best chance of holding Superman back while the other heroes carry out their mission, and with Kilowog dead, there’s a personal motivation for the next Green Lantern to seek revenge. If Zack Snyder’s Justice League had an open invitation for multiple sequels, there’s a strong chance Green Lantern would’ve played a role in Snyder’s DCEU future, but as things stand, fans will have to make do with Kilowog’s lifeless corpse and their imaginations.
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