James Gunn's new DCU just introduced Blake Lively's character from Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern film, but the character is being played by a different actress. Lanterns has played an important role in the world-building of the DCU. Not only has the series introduced fans to many major characters in DC lore, such as John Stewart, Hal Jordan, and Sinestro, but it has also featured connections to other projects within the franchise and brought in supporting characters who may show up again in the future.
In Lanterns Episode 6 (titled "Bad Optics"), fans were introduced to a character named Carol Ferris, played by actress Amie Mackenzie. Carol did not have a massive role in the episode, and this is the first time she has been included in an episode of Lanterns, or in the DCU as a whole, but she is still an important person in the DC lore when it comes to Hal Jordan.
In the episode, it was revealed that Carol was an acquaintance of Hal Jordan and learned of his death from Kerry Kane. This prompted Carol to go to Rushville for Hal's funeral, where she ran into Aaron Pierre's John Stewart.
Carol told John that she and Hal "had a history," without going into any detail, but notably, she gave a piece of paper to John and asked him to read it at Hal's funeral. John agreed to read the speech during the funeral, and it was revealed that Hal was the one who penned the speech, not Carol, which was previously implied.
After listening to John read Hal's speech, Carol left, thus ending her appearance in the episode and potentially in Lanterns Season 1.
Some fans may feel as though Carol Ferris felt a bit familiar, and that would likely be the case if they watched Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern film from 2011, as in that movie, Carol Ferris played a massive role, and was portrayed by Reynolds' now-wife, Blake Lively.
As mentioned, Carol's role in Lanterns Episode 6 was minimal, but it teases that the two characters had a lot of history with each other, and could have been rather close in the past.
In DC Comics, and in the 2011 film with Lively and Reynolds, Carol and Hal had a romantic relationship and were considered lovers. DC Studios did not necessarily confirm that Carol and Hal had a romantic relationship in the past, but it certainly implied that that was the case.
It is also worth mentioning that Carol's role in the 2011 movie was much more substantial regarding the overall plot, as she was introduced as the vice president of Ferris Aircraft, was kidnapped by Hector Hammond, and was then saved by Hal Jordan.
Specifically, Lively was second in billing for Green Lantern, proving how big her role was in that film. While the movie treated her as a main character, Lanterns Episode 6 introduced her more as a background character who could come back around to have a much greater role in the future, especially if DC Studios adapts Carol's character arc from the comics.
What Happens to Carol Ferris in DC Comics?
2011's Green Lantern may have featured Blake Lively's Carol Ferris as one of the movie's main characters, but it still only included her as a normal human. In the comics, Carol eventually gains cosmic powers, becoming an entity known as Star Sapphire.
Interestingly, Star Sapphire exists in a completely separate part of Carol's consciousness due to the nature of how she received her powers. Because Star Sapphire and Carol Ferris were essentially two different people in different sections of Carol's brain, they had no knowledge of each other, meaning that Carol did not know that she had a villainous alter-ego.
Star Sapphire battled with Hal Jordan's version of Green Lantern many times, and many times she was defeated, bringing the Carol side of her back out. Eventually, she was a part of the Star Sapphire Corps, where she was more of a hero than a villain.
It is possible that the DCU could adapt Carol's character arc from the comics and bring her back in the future as Star Sapphire, especially depending on what DC Studios elects to do with Hal Jordan.
However, it is also possible that she could simply be a supporting character with a small role that comic book fans will appreciate.
