Lanterns Soars High At SDCC

In brightest day, in blackest night, Lanterns is set to take flight. Lanterns had their panel at this year’s San Diego Comic Con. Needless to say, but this newest chapter of the DCU has already had some intriguing interest. From the moment it was announced it had the fanbase captivated with the tone it was going to play with. Some voices were heard when the first teaser was released. And a bit more hype was built when the official first trailer was released. But now a bit more information has been announced and confirmed with their recent panel, just a month before the series is set to premiere on HBO. A new trailer spearheaded the event followed by some insight from the cast.

The trailer was of course the biggest headliner in panel. In it, some vital and interesting details were highlighted. The veteran/rookie, buddy cop relationship between John Stewart and Hal Jordan was stressed. Each man seems to be adamant about carrying out then completing their task. John Stewart appears to be focused on proving his worth to be a Green Lantern. Doing what he can to earn the ring. On the other hand, Hal Jordan is determined to find his replacement in John Stewart. He may be downplaying his wish to be replaced by Stewart in his presence but once they are separated, Jordan is fully aware how important it is. It really gives off the same energy as the Agent Kay and Agent Jay relationship in Men in Black with a touch of Training Day thrown in there. When it was revealed that John Stewart and Hal Jordan were going to split the green spotlight, instead of just one of them, fans were excited about it. The trailer just reinforces that.

Another huge reveal was the unveiling of the villain. Sinestro had a moment in the trailer with Hal Jordan. Really had a Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter feeling to it. Sinestro is imprisoned on an alien planet and Jordan might be the one who put him there. Jordan goes to talk to Sinestro stressing the importance of finding his replacement. And Sinestro hints that he enjoys seeing Jordan so bothered.

But another villainous confirmation was perhaps the official acknowledgement of the series’ main villain. Manhunters. Now, when Manhunters are referenced in the DC universe, it could be one of two things; Martian Manhunter or The Manhunters. Martian Manhunter, as the name suggests, is a Martian hailing from Mars who has a long list of superpowers. He is the last of his species and finds his new home on Earth. And The Manhunters are the first iteration of a galactic police force the Guardians of the Universe attempted. The Manhunters are robotic but went rouge and ultimately replaced with the Green Lanterns. So, since The Manhunters are linked to the Green Lanterns, it would make sense they are the villains. But a quick scene suggests that it might be Martians. Martians in the DC universe are shapeshifters and the scene that accompanied the name drop was a character shapeshifting. And they appear to have a white shade of color tone which is a bigger announcement in itself. White Martins do exist in the DC universe and they are cruel. So White Martians might be the series’ big bad. Which might even set up the Martian Manhunter down the line.

The hour-long panel itself was obviously filled with news. One of the coolest ones was when Nathan Fillion, who already plays another Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), made an appearance. Not necessarily a surprise appearance since he is confirmed to be in the show but a cool appearance nonetheless. He even introduced a clip between John Stewart and John Stewart.

 A few more clips were shown. Some emphasizing the relationship between John Stewart and Hal Jordan. Other clips showed off the environment the show will take place in, a rural Nebraskan town and set the tone for the series which will be tight, suspenseful and filled with mystery every step of the way. It does make sense that the panel would show clips that highlight each of those elements because that’s what the series will hinge on. It’s two plot points that were shared all the way back to its initial announcement. Thankfully, fans have to have just a month to see how those clips play out fully.

John Stewart actor Aaron Pierre shared how much the role means to him. How appreciative he is in taking the role. Every word he spoke came across as genuine which could lead to a respectful and passionate portrayal of the character who means just as much to many other people. From the sound of it, Pierre will definitely honor the role of a comic book character.

Hal Jordan actor Kyle Chandler gave a little insight to his Green Lantern. He described this version of Jordan as a bit of an idiot and a bit of an a******. That should pique the interest for fans because just on that brief description, it sounds like fans are getting a comic book accurate Hal Jordan. Fans will have to wait if he brings his signature cockiness but going off of Chandler’s description, it sounds like Hal Jordan is going in the right direction. But hearing how much John Stewart means to Aaron Pierre and how Hal Jordan will be portrayed from Kyle Chandler, Lanterns appears to be something promising.

Near the end of the panel, Laura Linney was announced to be a Guardian of the Universe. So, it might be safe to assume she will have a prominent role in the series since Jordan is trying to get rid of the ring honorably while Stewart is trying to earn it. She might play a crucial part in both of their journeys and their character arcs.

At the end of the panel, Lanterns finished it the only way a panel about Green Lanterns could end. All three Green Lantern actors – Aaron Pierre, Kyle Chandler, and Nathan Fillion – all reciting the Green Lantern oath together in front of everyone.

In less than a year, the DCU will have its fifth project. And going off of what each of those projects feel and look like, James Gunn is keeping to his promise that each project will have different tones. Lanterns has this grit feel to it with a little edge and of course mystery and a lot of green. It received more and more hype with each trailer and that hype is close to paying off.

Lanterns debuts on HBO and HBO Max on August 16^th.