John Diggle’s transformation from Spartan into Green Lantern has been teased for several years in the Arrowverse. The last fans saw of Diggle, he and his family were on their way to Metropolis to start anew following the events of the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover that rebooted the multiverse. The idea has always been that Diggle would eventually join the Green Lantern Corps, but there are a few reasons why Diggle may not even want to be the space superhero to begin with.

In Arrow’s series finale, Diggle left Star City behind, deciding to move with Lyla and their kids after she received a promotion at work. However, Diggle’s trip was interrupted when he saw a space object crash into the ground near his car. Opening up the mysterious box, Diggle’s face was suddenly washed in green light, strongly suggesting that what he picked up was the famous Green Lantern ring (ala, the Power Ring), which granted whomever wore it with superpowers. With Diggle headed back to the Arrowverse in guest appearances across its remaining five shows, including Superman & Lois, Diggle’s story will pick up in the aftermath of these events, with actor David Ramsey hinting there will be consequences to his decision regarding the box’s content. 

Related: Diggle's Green Lantern Future After Arrow: What Happens Next

While Diggle becoming Green Lantern would be exciting, Diggle spent eight years of his life being a vigilante alongside the Green Arrow.  He didn’t have any powers back then, but he’s seen first-hand the toll the superhero life can take on him and his loved ones. Sacrifices had to be made and Diggle has been in quite a few arguments with Lyla about the dangers and strain his vigilante activities put on their marriage and family life. What’s more, the events of “Crisis on Infinite Earths” not only killed his best friend, but the Anti-Monitor used Lyla as Harbinger to do his bidding before being returned to her regular human state. With all that in mind, Diggle may not want to become Green Lantern knowing that he would be putting his family through the wringer once more, and this time with cosmic powers attached. 

Arrow Fadeout John Diggle finds Green Lantern Ring

Diggle has also been wary of superpowers. This is a man who can’t take being sped anywhere by The Flash without throwing up, too, so having powers might not be something he wants. What has always made Diggle a standout is the fact that he didn’t have powers at all; he was a grounded hero, a human with a penchant for doing what’s right without all the hoopla that comes with being superhuman. If he were to become Green Lantern, Diggle would not only have powers, but he’d be connected to a cosmic space force that would call him off-world on more than one occasion. Surely Diggle would be suspicious of the Green Lantern Corps after all that he’s seen and experienced during his time as Spartan. 

Ultimately, Diggle may want nothing to do with the superhero life anymore. He might want to be left alone so that he could live a lowkey life and spend time with his family, including his returned baby daughter Sara, who was initially erased from existence due to Barry time traveling at the end of The Flash season 2. Diggle has done a lot of good during his time in the Arrowverse, but he doesn’t need to be Green Lantern to continue doing what he feels is right. The superhero life has already taken a lot from him and out of him. Not all heroes need superpowers and Diggle has probably had enough of that life for a while. While he could eventually go on to join the Green Lantern Corps, his hesitancy about becoming a superhero would be warranted.

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