There's likely a very important reason why the DC Universe's upcoming Green Lantern show is simply entitled Lanterns. Starring two of the most popular and well-known Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart, both members of the Green Lantern Corps have been members of the Justice League and have also taken key leadership positions in the Corps in the original comics. However, Lanterns may not keep its focus just the iconic Green Lantern duo who help patrol the known galaxy.
Announced as part of the new DC Universe's first chapter Gods and Monsters, DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran revealed their high hopes for Lanterns which is currently in development. According to Gunn, Lanterns will be "a terrestrial-based mystery that leads into the overall story that we’re telling throughout the different movies and television shows...we find this ancient horror on Earth, and these guys are basically supercops on ‘Precinct Earth.'" Gunn and Safran compared the series to HBO's True Detective, a comparison that may not just be about the crime drama similarities. Here's why Lanterns (and the omission of "Green") could be incredibly important for the grander DC Universe narrative.
DC's Green Lantern Show Will Resemble True Detective
Lanterns being compared to HBO's True Detective is rather interesting considering its unique structure as a seasonal anthology. Every season features its own self-contained storyline with its own unique cast and setting. While the first season focused on two detectives played by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, the second, third, and upcoming fourth seasons have brand-new stars and mysteries unrelated to each other as isolated narratives.
This is something that could be very dynamic in the context of DC's Lanterns following its initial season with Hal Jordan and John Stewart. After they uncover whatever horror is lurking on Earth and its drastic ramifications for the greater DC Universe, perhaps future seasons could focus on other Green Lanterns recruited from Earth such as Kyle Rayner or Guy Gardner. There's also Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, the more magical and original Green Lantern Alan Scott, as well as the more unorthodox Keli Quintela known as Teen Lantern. However, it's possible that Lanterns could be much bigger than the Green Lantern Corps alone.
It's Important That DC's Upcoming Show Is Just "Lanterns"
It seems rather intentional that a show about two of the most famous Green Lanterns is only called Lanterns, implying that the series will likely branch out beyond the Green Lantern Corps and their ability to harness the emotional energy source of willpower through their rings and Central Power Battery located on the central world of Oa. As established in the original comics for the longest time, the Green Lantern Corps was situated as the sole galactic police force led by the Guardians of Oa, having divided up space into various sectors and assigned their legions of recruits to protect and serve.
However, the Green Lantern Rebirth era and the return of Hal Jordan saw more Lantern Corps being formed, one for each color on the "Emotional Spectrum". It's certainly possible that Jordan and Stewart's investigation could lead to them interacting with many more Lanterns beyond their fellow members of the GLC. Alongside the Green light of Willpower, The Emotional Spectrum also features Fear (Yellow), Rage (Red), Avarice (Orange), Hope (Blue), Love (Violet), and Indigo (Compassion). Black and White represent the forces of Death and Life as well. However, Lanterns could take things even further in keeping with the structure of HBO's True Detective.
Theory: DC's Lanterns Will Feature Every Corps (Not Just The Green Ones)
It would be very exciting if Lanterns features every Corps on the Emotional Spectrum with live-action debuts. While the Green Lanterns are frequent allies with some factions such as the Blue Lanterns whose light helps amplify their own willpower with hope, they're also rivals with other groups such as the more aggressive and rage-filled Red Lanterns led by the villain Atrocitus. As such, many of the various Corps have a few different narratives for DC Studios could adapt and take inspiration from, potentially focusing on a different Corps with each season. However, that naturally comes with the assumption that DC Studios has plans for more than one season.
While it might be more of a challenge to solely star other Corps beyond the Green Lanterns, subsequent seasons could instead have a primary focus on one or two Corps with Jordan and Stewart having interactions with them, either through team-ups or conflict depending on the specific faction. An arc with the Sinestro Corps who wield the Yellow light of Fear would be particularly compelling as Sinestro was a former Green Lantern and Jordan's longstanding arch-nemesis. Likewise, the Sinestro Corps was also teased at the end of 2011's Green Lantern but was never paid off due to the film's poor reception.
What Multiple Lanterns Corps Would Mean For The DC Universe
Ultimately, the biggest benefit of debuting various Corps beyond the Green Lanterns is to set up a live-action adaptation of Blackest Night. In the original storyline from Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis, the personified force of Death known as Nekron resurrects dead superheroes as zombies to form the Black Lantern Corps. This is the beginning of the "Blackest Night" prophecy which foretells the various Corps assembling as one unified force in the "War of Light". Blackest Night is one of the biggest Green Lantern stories and debuts several of the Corps for the very first time. It's also the perfect crossover event for the DC Universe's overarching Gods and Monsters narrative.
While most of this theory is largely conjecture, it's likely that the upcoming DC Universe series is simply titled "Lanterns" for a reason, potentially providing the opportunity to feature more characters beyond the ones who wield the Green light of Willpower. Likewise, the True Detective comparisons help support the idea of Lanterns being a quasi-anthology with different focuses on different Corps with every season. Regardless, here's hoping Hal Jordan and John Stewart's investigation will lead them to discover the entirety of DC Comics' Emotional Spectrum (in whatever form that may take).
