Nathan Fillion confirmed something that might sound absurd: His Green Lantern character, Guy Gardner, was hit by a bus. During a recent appearance on the DC Studios Podcast, Fillion shared that this off-screen event shapes Gardner’s aggressive personality in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman reboot. It’s a strange but surprisingly comic-accurate detail, hinting that the DCU’s interpretation may be pulling from deeper cuts in the source material than fans expected.
Fillion’s reveal isn’t just a quirky behind-the-scenes anecdote. In the pre-Crisis continuity of the comics, Guy Gardner actually suffers brain trauma after being hit by a bus while trying to save a student, leaving him in a coma and triggering a dramatic shift in his personality that's "...off a little bit:"
“Part of his origin was he was, at one point, hit by a bus and was in a coma... So I just say that's the thing that flipped the switch. That's the thing that caused a little bit of brain damage. Now he's just...off a little bit."
Gunn and Fillion bringing that origin into live-action implies a deeper commitment to Guy’s flawed, often abrasive nature, and it may reshape how audiences view the character going forward (read more about Green Lantern's powers here).
Fans will learn more about who exactly this version of Guy is when Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025, the project in which he will first appear. He is also expected to return in Peacemaker Season 2. There’s speculation that he’ll play a larger role in Lanterns, the upcoming HBO Max series featuring Hal Jordan and John Stewart.
The Bus Incident That Changed Everything
Originally introduced as the “backup” Green Lantern to Hal Jordan in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #59, Guy Gardner started out noble, brave, and emotionally stable. In other words, the perfect soldier for the Corps. But that changed after a freak accident during an earthquake caused him to be hit by a bus, leaving him hospitalized and in a coma.
This incident, along with future traumatic events like being trapped in the Phantom Zone (Green Lantern Vol. 2 #123), caused irreparable brain damage. While in the Phantom Zone, Guy was mentally controlled by General Zod and later by Sinestro, intensifying the psychological damage that left him permanently altered.
When Guy re-emerges, he’s no longer the model Boy Scout. He’s a brash, loudmouthed wildcard; volatile but loyal, and deeply shaped by past trauma.
Gardner’s comic arc also includes growing up with an abusive father and living in his brother’s shadow. These elements explain his constant chip-on-the-shoulder behavior and set him apart from the more stoic Lanterns.
Fillion’s take positions Gardner not just as comic relief or the team jackass, but as someone whose flaws stem from a lifetime of being overlooked, injured, and manipulated. He’s not just “off”—he’s broken and masking it with bravado.
A Broken Hero for a New DCU
If the DCU commits to this version of Gardner, it’s another instance of Gunn adapting trauma as core canon. No stranger to this theme, trauma plays a core element in Gunn’s most iconic characters: the Guardians of the Galaxy and, most recently, the Creature Commandos. One of Gunn’s key strengths is crafting empathetic characters that society labels outlaws.
It also hints at the type of storytelling Gunn might bring to the DCU: flawed characters shaped by real consequences. Fans are used to seeing heroes overcome adversity, but Gardner’s story sounds like adversity twists this hero. If future DCU projects like Lanterns explore this backstory further, Guy Gardner could become one of the most layered and unexpectedly tragic characters in the entire franchise.
