Lanterns Episode 3, "OutKast," revealed the true reason the Green Lantern ring chose Hal Jordan over John Stewart Sr., but some say race was a factor in the decision. The latest installment of the DC Studios series pulled back the curtain on John Stewart's origin story, confirming that his father was initially chosen to become Green Lantern in 1986, but he was too afraid to take it then. It lifted him in a green construct in front of infant John and asked the same question Hal later described: "Are you afraid?" John Sr. answered yes and was rejected. The ring then found Hal Jordan, with him passing the test and taking the Green Lantern mantle. This ring selection process was not exclusive to Hal Jordan and John Stewart Sr., as multiple other candidates also failed the same test for their own reasons.
There is some online commentary claiming Hal Jordan was chosen by the ring in Lanterns instead of John Stewart Sr. because he is white. Based on what truly happened, this does not seem to be the case.
Hal Jordan received the ring because John Stewart Sr. failed the test by admitting he was afraid, whereas Hal did not. The conversation surrounding race was part of the Stewart family's story and how they interpreted that failure, but that is not why the Green Lantern ring chose Hal. Some also claimed that it is a layer of social commentary embedded within the larger narrative.
Still, it's worth discussing the topic of race when it came to the Guardians' decision. Given that Hal Jordan is white, he didn't grow up with the same fears as John Stewart Sr. did; both characters' races do play a role in the decision. It is still not the reason Hal was chosen over John.
At one point in the episode, Bernadette Stewart confronted a Guardian, arguing that the Guardians of the Universe do not understand Earth well enough to account for how race shapes a life lived with fear.
The Guardian side of that conversation made it clear they do not truly understand terrestrial racial dynamics. This is understandable, considering the Guardians are portrayed as cosmically detached in the DCU. Interestingly, in DC Comics' Green Lantern (1960) Issue #87, the Guardians of the Universe knew about racism, and one of them called Hal out on it.
Circling back, it's clear that the Green Lantern rejection severely affected John Stewart Sr., as he grieved the missed opportunity to become a hero. As a result, John's parents imposed an extreme "fearless" upbringing on their son,
As pointed out by his brothers, John's parents raised him "more White" than his brothers because they didn't want John to experience the same fears his father associated with being a Black man in America. This decision was tied to John Sr.'s rejection and their own experience, and not considered part of the ring's criteria.
Bernadette, John's mother, was clearly biased against the Hal because of how his getting the ring affected John Sr., carrying over that hatred and pushing for a harsher training for John Jr. to ensure that the Guardians would deem him worthy of the Green Lantern ring in the future.
John Stewart's Upbringing Explains the Green Lantern He Becomes
Lanterns established that John Stewart is built for the Green Lantern ring, but this was anchored by his harsh upbringing after his parents treated John Sr.'s failure to be chosen as an unfinished assignment. In a way, the Guardians supplanted the message that John is the chosen one after they implied that whatever drew the ring to her husband may live in their children if a child is raised without fear.
This harsh upbringing produced a specific kind of Green Lantern. While Hal's fearlessness is temperament and swagger, John relied on conditioning. During the retelling of his origin story, John took a dishonorable discharge after Hal wrecked the mission and still reported for the next order. The ring, when it finally lands on John's lap, is less a gift; it's more of a finish line after years of harsh training masked as upbringing.
There is also a concerning truth about John's destiny. The cost is visible in who he is not allowed to be, as fear is considered as failure. Love of family is mixed with the knowledge that they would rather he be unbreakable than happy. John is simply manufactured into an individual incapable of fear. Doing all of this made it seem that John is the Lantern the Guardians now prefer: as a man who will follow the assignment Hal will not.
Hopefully, as Lanterns progresses, John will choose his own destiny rather than follow orders blindly.
