There was a lot to be excited about with DC’s Lanterns TV show before an episode even premiered; not only was Kyle Chandler set to bring Hal Jordan to life in a new cinematic universe, but the beloved Green Lantern John Stewart would finally make his debut in a live-action medium. When it was confirmed that Rebel Ridge and Krypton star Aaron Pierre would take on the role, fan excitement was already on the rise, but across the eight weeks of watching each new episode of Lanterns, the audience has grown to love his take on the character and the gravitas that he’s brought to the DCU’s John Stewart.
True to form for a series that includes Damon Lindelof and Tom King among its writers, there have been plenty of twists and turns to be found in Lanterns. Among them, perhaps the most surprising was not only the changes to John Stewart’s origin, but also that he turned down the chance to assume the role of Green Lantern when finally given the chance. With the Season 1 finale having finally arrived, though, the status of John Stewart moving forward in the DCU has officially been confirmed, and even if it’s what fans were hoping for, it comes with two big twists about how he’ll operate in the franchise. Spoilers for Lanterns follow.
The final three episodes of Lanterns have featured plenty of moments where John (and even Hal) have thrown plenty of shade at Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner. Having been established as the Green Lantern of Sector 2814 in Superman, Lanterns revealed that the only reason he even has the ring is that John didn’t want it (a fact that he reminds him of in the Season 1 finale). John’s journey in the final episode, though, puts him in a unique position and once again brings Guy Gardner back into the fold, with Stewart officially assuming the role of Green Lantern, but one that’s not associated with the Corps at all.
Stewart is able to do this thanks to his encounter with Sinestro, having found him on a dead planet via the portals left behind by Hal Jordan. There, the former Green Lantern and mentor to Hal revealed that he’d been broken out of “Space Azkaban” by none other than Noah Macon, who has been a secret second Manhunter this entire time. Sinestro goes on to reveal that Noah had him forge a lantern that he could use to charge Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern ring, but thanks to the planet where he pieced it together, it was at least partially infused with yellow streaks, the color associated with fear, making it quite distinct from a traditional lantern.
After confronting Noah about his nature and his plan, the secret Manhunter had a surprise up his sleeve, giving the ring and lantern to John and asking him to kill him at some point if at some point his programming puts him out of line. John not only takes this to heart, but sees it as the chance to finally become the thing he had been trained to become, but on his own terms.
John goes on to summon Guy Gardner to Rushville using his signal, telling the Green Lantern of Sector 2814 that he’s not the only one on the planet who has a ring now. Not only that, but if he and the Guardians try to stop him, he’ll be ready. Stewart goes on to draw some battle lines, telling Gardner that he’s going to be an Earth-bound Green Lantern with no ties to the Corps but a fierce protection of the planet itself. As a result, Guy can patrol their sector and its many planets without stepping on their toes.
After Guy leaves and John gets the chance to talk to Hal’s backup construct, he comes to terms with his future, acting as a solo Green Lantern who not only has no allegiance to the Corps but who is also planning to one day take down this Manhunter if needed. He also realizes that the main Green Lantern oath to charge his ring, doesn’t really fit him, so he comes up with his own, charging the ring by saying:
All of this leads us to the ending of Lanterns, with John Stewart officially his own Green Lantern on his own terms and flying off into the sky with the power of the ring. The good news for DC fans is that we already know when we’ll get to see him again, as Pierre is confirmed to appear in the upcoming Man of Tomorrow. Now there are two big reasons to be excited about this, the first is that we don’t actually see what John Stewart’s Green Lantern costume looks like as the episode ends, so the film will become our first place to see his look; and the second is how he and Guy Gardner will share the screen. Their final meeting is a contentious one, and their next meeting arrives in summer 2027.
What do you think of how John Stewart’s story ended in Lanterns? And what kind of Green Lantern do you think we’ll see in Man of Tomorrow? Let us know in the comments below.
