DCU Fans Are Bracing for a Big Green Lantern Reveal in HBO’s New Series, “I’m Absolutely Fiending for the Reveal”
Lanterns premiered on HBO Max on August 16, kicking off an eight-episode season that brings DC’s cosmic space cops to live-action television for the first time. Created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, the series stars Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) as Earth’s veteran protector and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as the rookie training to succeed him one day. The characters’ dynamic has been lauded by critics and praised by fans, while the show’s multiple timelines revolve around a mystery that will leave us guessing for the next few weeks. By setting the show at different points in history, Lanterns also reveals more about the DC Universe. For instance, the premiere confirmed that Hal Jordan has served as Green Lantern since 1986, while also underlining how there should be only one active ring per sector. Unsurprisingly, that leaves fans wondering how Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), previously introduced in Superman, factors into what comes next.
“I have no clue and I’m absolutely fiending for the reveal,” Reddit user zenexo wrote in a thread on r/DCU_ dedicated entirely to guessing how Gardner ends up wearing the ring. The post has drawn fans since the premiere aired, with the community swapping theories that range from comic-accurate lore to entirely new DCU twists. Several commenters expect the show to lean into heavier territory rather than play the reveal for laughs, as Guy Gardner did in Superman and Peacemaker Season 2. Redditor IncognitoBombadillo guessed the origin could be genuinely painful, hoping Gardner does not simply “stumble upon the ring” without consequence. Fellow user I_Am_Killa_K agreed, replying that they “absolutely expect it to be serious and/or heartbreaking” given the show’s tone so far.
How Did Guy Gardner Become a Green Lantern in Comic Books?
Guy Gardner’s comic book history stretches back to 1968’s Green Lantern #59, where writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane introduced him as a physical education teacher on the opposite coast from Jordan. When the dying alien Abin Sur’s ring searched for a worthy successor, it identified both men as viable candidates, but Jordan simply lived closer to the crash site. The Guardians of the Universe made Jordan Sector 2814’s active Green Lantern and designated Gardner as his backup. An accident later left Gardner injured, prompting the Guardians to recruit John Stewart as a second reserve. Once healed, Gardner got his shot at active duty, only for a damaged power battery to explode while he tried recharging his ring, an incident that removed him from the story for years before writers Steve Englehart and Joe Staton reintroduced him in the 1980s with the egotistical bowl-cut persona fans know today.
Gardner appeared in 2025’s Superman as an established Green Lantern and founding member of the Justice Gang, years before Lanterns. Now that we know there can’t be two Green Lanterns on Earth at the same time, according to the Guardians of the Universe’s rules, the question remains as to how Jordan and Gardner managed to hold their rings at the same time. Whatever the reason turns out to be, fans hope to see more of Gardner’s backstory. Redditor Batman1154 speculated that Gardner must have worked as “a gym teacher before he got the ring” in the DCU, with Several_Ear1209 noting that many versions of the character were “either a cop or a special Ed teacher” before joining the Corps. Separate_Path_7729 went further, hoping the show borrows from the accident that switched Gardner from a “chill special ed teacher to the asshole.”
Fans have also floated theories tied directly to the season’s central villains rather than Gardner alone. “I really think this season of Lanterns is going to be the reason why Earth gets multiple GLs,” Redditor maz_2010 wrote. “Like if the big bad ‘just’ turns out to be the Manhunters, I think the Manhunters making Earth a target would make the Guardians dispatch more rings.” Other fans zeroed in on Sinestro instead, given his complicated history with the Corps. “It might have something to do with Sinestro considering his past with the Green Lantern Corps, as well as being locked up currently,” AnthropomorphicTrump theorized, raising the possibility that Gardner’s ring did not come through official channels at all. Hopefully we will get more answers this Sunday.
Lanterns is airing new episodes weekly on HBO and HBO Max, every Sunday.
