Justice League finally saw the iconic team of legendary DC heroes, united in live-action for the first time. But even as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and more finally teamed up on-screen, it was clear something was missing from the film.
Historically, the Green Lantern has always been a founding member of the Justice League, with corps members like Hal Jordan and John Stewart both having served on the roster .
The ring-wielding space guardians were previously featured in the 2011 Green Lantern film that starred Ryan Reynolds in the lead role . Tragically, the film failed in pretty much every way possible - critically, financially, and among the fans.
Since then, the character has yet to make a major return to screens. The Green Lantern Corps movie was originally slated to release in 2020, however, that year has been and gone, and there is clearly no Lantern movie, in fact, there isn't even one in production. Warner Bros. has since pivoted and chose to place the character in a big-budget live-action series, to debut exclusively on HBO Max .
While Green Lantern was absent from Justice League , many fans hoped the long-awaited Snyder Cut would offer a peek at the hero's debut in the DCEU. Sadly, the classic DC hero was once again absent. But it seems that wasn't always the case, as Zack Snyder has revealed a look at his original design for a Green Lantern to appear in his film.
CONCEPT ART REVEALS GREEN LANTERN IN ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE
A Twitter post from concept artist Jojo Aguilar has revealed new looks at his work with Zack Snyder on Justice League, including new art of Jared Leto's Joker, Martian Manhunter, and Superman villain Granny Goodness.
But most interestingly, Aguilar offers a first look at the intended design for John Stewart's Green Lantern, a character for whom Snyder originally intended an appearance towards the end of his film.
The concept artist additionally showcased art of Zack Snyder's Justice League 's surprise superhero debut Martian Manhunter, who was played in the film by Harry Lennix.
Aguilar went on to reveal concept art for Jared Leto's return as the Joker, sporting a design much more similar to his Suicide Squad look than was eventually featured in the film.
JUSTICE LEAGUE WAS NOT THE BRIGHTEST DAY FOR THE GREEN LANTERNS
Zack Snyder has recently opened up about his past plans for multiple Green Lanterns to play a role in his film, including a cameo by Ryan Reynolds' Hal Jordan and John Stewart's debut. The director originally intended for Stewart to have a conversation with Martian Manhunter in the film surrounding the threat of Darkseid, but Warner Bros. forced him to scrap those plans.
Lantern fans were left largely disappointed by Zack Snyder's Justice League , as many hoped the surprise superhero cameo in the concluding moments of the film could've been a Green Lantern. However, a flashback battle scene did show an ancient Lantern taking on Darkseid in a reasonably extensive action sequence .
With Reynolds having only been slated for a small role in Snyder's vision, it seems he was targeting John Stewart to be the main Lantern of his story. It's unclear exactly why Warner Bros. may have forced the director to abandon these films, but they may have felt more time needed to pass from the failed Green Lantern movie.
Some have noted the similarities between the John Stewart shown in Aguilar's concept art and Black Panther actor Daniel Kaluuya. In concept art, it's common to base a design off a particular actor, without any legitimate discussions in casting that actor, so any similarities shouldn't be taken as any evidence on a John Stewart casting.
The Green Lantern Corps is set to return in a live-action series , exclusively on HBO Max. But for now, Zack Snyder's Justice League can be streamed on the service.
