James Gunn spoke on the one DCU character who he believes could "absolutely" beat up the franchise's new Superman. Played by David Corenswet, the new Clark Kent was introduced in July 2025's Superman movie, described in the film's opening text as "the most powerful metahuman of all." However, according to the DCU's top executive, this may not mean that the Man of Steel is completely invincible or invulnerable.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn spoke about his progress with developing multiple upcoming DCU movies and TV shows. After Superman's release, Gunn plans to release over half a dozen streaming series and about the same number of movies as part of his Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters slate. This will bring dozens of powerful heroes and villains into the mix, some close to the same power level as the Last Son of Krypton.
Per Deadline, Gunn recently spoke with radio host Howard Stern about Green Lantern. Stern said he always believed that Green Lantern could beat up Superman. Gunn agreed with Stern, "Absolutely, he’s pretty powerful." However, Gunn did not specify which Green Lantern he meant.
Gunn helped bring the DCU's first Green Lantern in Superman with Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, a key member of the Justice Gang. The DC executive will explore the Green Lantern Corps more fully in the 2026 live-action Lanterns series, which will center on Aaron Pierre's John Stewart and Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan.
What To Expect From the DCU's Green Lantern Story
Following Nathan Fillion's DCU debut in Superman, the Green Lantern Corps will get its first live-action story since 2011's Green Lantern movie. Complete with over a dozen confirmed cast members to bring the story to life, Lanterns will open up a new cosmic side to the DCU that has not been seen yet.
Expected to be rated TV-MA, this will also be the most mature look at the Lantern Corps yet, as Fillion teased that he gets to drop several F-bombs on the small screen. How violent and mature the series will get remains to be seen, but it seems clear that HBO Max will not hold back in showing the most brutal and action-packed take on the Corps to date.
Following Lanterns' debut in 2026, there are no reports detailing where these heroes may appear again in future DCU projects. One potential place could be in the upcoming Superman follow-up, Man of Tomorrow, should Gunn want the Justice Gang or the Lantern Corps to be involved with Clark Kent and Lex Luthor's next adventure.
No matter how that plays out, fans will be anxious to see how powerful the Green Lanterns are, especially compared to Superman.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
