After Green Lantern TV Show Comments By James Gunn, I’m Now Convinced DC Studios’ First-Ever Series Will Finally Do Hal Jordan Justice in the Sci-Fi Realm

James Gunn offered up some revealing comments about the DCU's new Green Lantern TV show, and fans are convinced that the series may finally do Hal Jordan Justice. The sci-fi series from Ozark showrunner Chris Mundy will follow two Green Lanterns, John Stewart and Hal Jordan (played by Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler, respectively), introducing fans to a new corner of Gunn's interconnected DC universe. 

DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn is saying all the right things for Green Lantern fans with some new comments about the upcoming Lanterns series. Up to this point, the new Max show has been branded as this grounded True Detective-esque story, leading some to worry that it may do away with some of the more fantastic elements of Green Lantern from the iconic DC Comics world; however, there seems to be nothing to worry about. 

Responding to a fan on Threads (via Everything DCU on X) who asked the Superman director about how "grounded" the DCU will be as a whole, Gunn retorted, "That's not what I mean by grounded" before insinuating that the franchise will include "many off-world science fiction stories:"

Q: "Will most of the events in a DCU take place on Earth? Since you say it will be grounded"

A: "That's not what I mean by grounded. I meant grounded in terms of fully rounded characters making realistic choices. Many off-world science fiction stories are grounded."

This is good news for shows like Lanterns, where just how grounded the project is has been something of a badge of honor it has been wearing since its initial announcement. 

Because of this, some perhaps thought the new Green Lantern show was setting up its central characters for failure, bringing about yet another Hal Jordan story that does not do the character justice on-screen (like 2011's Green Lantern movie did over a decade ago).

Fans got another update on just how out-there Lanterns will get with its at times space-faring main characters, thanks to a conversation between director James Hawes and Phase Hero. When asked about the show's story, Hawes posited that it will take fans "intergalactic:"

"It won't disappoint the classic fans...We get to meet the characters in quite a rooted way before it takes you intergalactic."

Lanterns will mark the DCU's first original live-action TV show, telling the story of two Green Lanterns, John Stewart and Hal Jordan, as they investigate a series of grisly crimes in the American heartland. Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler will play its two central heroes, while other names like Nathan Fillion, Kelly Macdonald, and Ulrich Thomsen will fill out its stacked cast. 

Production on the new series is ongoing in California, with an expected wrap date sometime this summer. No specific release information for the Max TV show has been revealed yet, but it is expected to debut sometime in 2026.

Why Lanterns' Grounded Tone Is a Good Thing?

Just because Lanterns has been branded as this grounded crime drama, while drawing comparisons to shows like True Detective, does not mean the series will move away from the more fantastical, out-there stuff that the Green Lantern lore is known for. 

Ultimately, it is what Gunn said in these quotes. Grounded does not necessarily mean everything has to be rooted in the reality we know and live in. It can also simply refer to this show's cast of characters, commenting on how rooted in reality and well-rounded they will ultimately be. 

And that is why fans should be excited for DC Studios' new Green Lantern show. One of the best parts of the Green Lantern comic book story is that it takes this everyday guy, very much rooted in reality, and thrusts him into unlikely intergalactic circumstances. 

Everything Gunn and the Lanterns team have said up to now points to the new HBO series nailing that exact aspect of the Green Lantern character.

While a movie like 2011's Green Lantern got close to putting into practice what Gunn has outlined here, that film ultimately fell flat and has become one of the most-hated comic book adaptations of all time.

So, suppose Lanterns can hit on the story front, while authentically bringing these iconic DC characters to screen, as it looks like it will. In that case, fans may finally be getting Hal Jordan and the very concept of Green Lantern done justice in a way like never before.