DC Studios has an arsenal of superheroes set to appear in the Chapter 1 slate, and one of them will appear in three projects in just one year. The DCU has already cast many of its leading Justice League superheroes with Superman (David Corenswet), Supergirl (Milly Alcock), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and three Green Lanterns (Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, and Nathan Fillion).
This Green Lantern Will Appear in 3 New DCU Projects
Before fans meet John Stewart, Hal Jordan, and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps in HBO's Lanterns, the DCU will introduce Guy Gardner. The jackass of the emerald intergalactic police force, Gardner, will be played by The Rookie, Firefly, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 actor Nathan Fillion.
Read more about Nathan Fillion's Green Lantern hero, Guy Gardner.
Fillion has already been confirmed to play his Green Lantern superhero in three DCU projects being released within just one year:
Superman
The DCU will have its first theatrical blockbuster on July 11 with Superman, which will debut David Corenswet as the all-new Clark Kent. The latest Man of Steel will be introduced in a world already populated by superheroes, including the all-new Justice Gang which is led by Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner.
Gardner is famous for having the worst haircut in DC with his iconic bowl and will be bringing that, along with his familiar flawed character traits, to Superman.
As Superman brings hope to heroes who have lost their way, Gardner will seemingly be one of those who will likely begin as an antagonist to Clark Kent before a potential team-up to take on Lex Luthor.
Peacemaker Season 2
Guy Gardner made a surprise appearance in the Peacemaker Season 2 trailer alongside Isabela Merced's Hawkgirl and Sean Gunn's Maxwell Lord, effectively spoiling the Justice Gang's fate in July's Superman.
The Green Lantern and Hawkgirl look to be assisting their Justice Gang sponsor, Maxwell Lord, in recruiting new members to the superhero team, with John Cena's Peacemaker vying for membership after his Season 1 heroics.
It's unclear whether Gardner's role in Peacemaker will be limited to a cameo in the Justice Gang audition or if he will recur throughout the hotly-anticipated season, which is set to premiere on Max on August 21.
Lanterns
Lanterns will star Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively, for an eight-episode HBO series inspired by True Detective as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.
Previously, James Gunn teased that the HBO series will have "a few other Lanterns...peppered in there." With the series now in production, Entertainment Weekly confirmed Nathan Fillion will reprise Guy Gardner in Lanterns.
It remains unclear how many Lanterns episodes will feature Gardner, nor does the HBO series have an exact premiere date. But as DC Studios confirmed to Deadline that they could "safely say [Lanterns] will premiere in early 2026."
By the time Lanterns comes around, fans will be well acquainted with Guy Gardner as one of the DCU's main recurring characters after three appearances. That said, the scale of his roles in each of these projects is unclear, and it seems likely his role in Peacemaker will be more of a cameo alongside Maxwell Lord and Hawkgirl.
In terms of when the Green Lantern superhero will next appear beyond that, it seems hard to tell, especially as his appearance in Peacemaker Season 2 was already such a surprise to fans when the trailer was released.
The Recurring Characters of the DCU Explained
Guy Gardner isn't the DCU's only confirmed recurring character, as Frank Grillo's Rick Flag Sr. will serve as James Gunn's answer to Nick Fury. The DCU superspy debuted in Creature Commandos and will return in Superman before his role in Peacemaker Season 2, now as the director of ARGUS.
That said, Isabela Merced's Hawkgirl is the only other superhero confirmed to feature properly in two projects with Superman and Peacemaker Season 2.
Many have speculated that David Corenswet's Superman will be quick to join her in that two-appearance club with a role in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which will hit theaters in June 2026 and debut Milly Alcock as his Kryptonian cousin.
As time passes, the DCU's list of recurring characters only ought to grow across more crossovers and surprise cameos. Fans are hoping this will all lead to an Avengers-esque crossover with a Justice League movie that brings together characters and plot threads (read more about the potential reboot team-up).
