James Gunn is getting ready to introduce a new Green Lantern Corps in full in the DCU, and it was just revealed that the group of heroes will be stealing one cornerstone of Batman's character that has never been used before for any of the Lanterns. When the year is over, the DCU will have had three major releases, with two being movies and one a TV show. The first of those projects (Supergirl) had already premiered, leaving the TV show (Lanterns) and another movie (Clayface) still to be released.
A brand new 30-second teaser (as shared by Discussing Film via X) was released for Lanterns, the next entry in the DCU that will be released on August 16. In that teaser, at the 17-second mark, a shot featured the Green Lanterns' symbol in the sky, being projected on the clouds.
That same shot showcased a green beam of light going up into the sky and connecting to the Green Lantern symbol in the air. Notably, this projection of the Corps' symbol looked almost identical to the Bat-signal, which is the giant light that is turned on when Gotham needs Batman. Most often, Commissioner Gordon is the one who turns it on.
Specifically, a spotlight is turned on, and Batman's symbol can be seen projected into the sky, usually on clouds, just like the Green Lantern symbol was in the Lanterns teaser.
Most notably, this is the first time in the history of the Green Lantern character or the Green Lantern Corps where a sky projection like this has been used. Historically, a sky projection along the lines of a superhero's symbol has been mostly limited to Batman.
Therefore, Lanterns and James Gunn's version of the Green Lantern Corps will be taking a major element of Batman's character and his stories and bringing it over to the DCU.
The full new teaser for Lanterns can be seen below:
How Batman Is Influencing Lanterns
Batman and Green Lantern are both vital pieces of the puzzle when it comes to the world of DC, but they are fundamentally different for the most part. While they come together on many occasions and can work well together, Green Lantern projects and Batman projects feel and look extremely different.
However, based on what has been revealed about Lanterns, whether it be through trailers, teasers, interviews, etc., Lanterns will take a lot of inspiration from the Caped Crusader and will feel more like a Batman story than any Green Lantern title ever has in the past.
For instance, Batman (for the most part) is known for being extremely grounded when it comes to his character, the stories that are told, and the setting. When it comes to the Green Lantern Corps, they are often seen in outer space or on other planets, and their entire premise centers around the more fantastical side of things.
It seems as though Lanterns is going to be taking another page out of the Batman book regarding how grounded it will be. The show is mostly going to take place on Earth and is simply going to be a detective mystery thriller, extremely similar to True Detective. Fans aren't going to see the bright colors and the more fantastical side of things as much as they are used to with Green Lantern stories.
It is also worth noting that Lanterns is also going to have a much more serious tone than usual, which is another similarity it will have to most Batman projects. Batman is an extremely dark and serious man. His comics and movies aren't known for being too lighthearted or comedic, and Lanterns will be following suit in that way as well.
One more storytelling beat that is often associated with Batman is emotion, specifically in response to a tragic event or trauma. In Bruce Wayne's case, it often stems from his parents' murder. However, it seems as though Lanterns is going to be including aspects of that as well.
Based on what has been revealed about the upcoming series, there will be a tragic event happen in the 2016 timeline. Specifically, a shooting is going to occur, and it is expected to set the rest of the show's events in motion. This shooting will likely be something that Lanterns' main characters (Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre's John Stewart) carry with them throughout the entire series.
