The Green Lantern series for HBO Max is still early on in its development, being headed by Seth Grahame-Smith and Marc Guggenheim.
The series was previously reported to focus on a diverse range of Lantern characters, including comic book characters Guy Gardner, Alan Scott, Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz. The series was also said to feature characters who have been seen in live-action previously, namely fan-favorite characters Sinestro and Kilowog.
Few details have been released about the plot of the series, though writer and executive producer Marc Guggenheim discussed his approach to the series. Guggenheim clearly has high hopes for the Green Lantern series, saying he is looking at it with the "production ambitions of a movie."
New information now suggests that the HBO Max series will be introducing a brand new character to the Green Lantern mythos...
NEWS
The Direct has exclusively learned of a brand new series regular from the Green Lantern HBO Max series.
Our sources indicate that a main character in the series is a Black, female Green Lantern named Bree Jarta. It is unknown if "Bree Jarta" is a codename for the character, or if Bree Jarta will be the character's actual name in the series.
This new character will be half-human and half-alien to a human father and alien mother, having grown up on an advanced alien society on another planet. She is also described as being extremely committed and hardworking to earn her Green Lantern ring, wanting to uphold the values that the Green Lantern Corps stands for.
Her character will be partnered with fellow Green Lantern Guy Gardner, with sources suggesting that there may be some friction between the two's vastly different personalities.
This character does not appear to be based on the recently-introduced comic book character Sojourner Mullein.
WHAT THIS MEANS
The introduction of this new Green Lantern has a lot of implications for how the upcoming series will handle the property. Making Bree Jarta a half-alien is certainly an interesting approach for a central protagonist, as Lantern stories traditionally follow human characters that act as surrogates for the audience. Jarta does have that half human aspect to her as well, potentially hinting at a struggle with her two identities.
The Green Lantern series appears to trust its viewers to be welcoming to Lanterns of different, otherworldly backgrounds. If films like Guardians of the Galaxy can make a rag-tag group of multiple aliens work, the Green Lantern series can certainly do the same.
Bree Jarta's background of growing up in an alien society also demonstrates that the Green Lantern series will embrace its sci-fi roots by going beyond Earth. The 2011 film was mostly set on Earth, with the occasional visit to the Green Lantern Corps headquarters of Oa. It, therefore, seems as though the Lanterns will venture further into space than Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern ever did.
Bree Jarta herself seems to be quite by the books and hardworking compared to her supposed partner Guy Gardner. Gardner is known for being relatively abrasive, argumentative and carefree, a far cry from some of his more orderly contemporaries. Therefore, fans should expect Jarta and Gardner to be at odds with each other in the series.
This character specifically not being Sojourner Mullein may be a bit disappointing for fans of the comic book character, but this does leave the door open for the character to show up in the series at a later point.
The Green Lantern series for HBO Max has not received a release date, though Bree Jarta should prove to be an interesting addition to its cast of characters.
