Top 10 Reasons Why The Green Lantern Deserves a Second Chance!

With the recent release of Zack Snyder’s completed vision of Justice League, there has been a wave of renewed interest in the once-struggling DC Extended Universe. Reactions to the four-hour superhero epic have been overwhelmingly positive, especially in comparison to the 2017 theatrical version. I’m not here to compare the two films or discuss all the behind-the-scenes drama that led to two wildly different cuts of the film. I’d argue that at the very least, in both versions, fans get the one thing they want out of a Justice League movie: superheroes! All their favorite childhood characters come to life interacting and fighting alongside each other, is, for better or worse, a spectacle to behold. For BatStans and SuperFans this is all well and good but for me personally? Well, I’d like to have seen a bit more Green in my movie!

Though featured very briefly (and I mean VERY briefly, about 10 seconds total in a FOUR HOUR film) the Green Lantern is admittedly given a rather promising introduction into the DC Universe. Fighting alongside the Old Gods and going toe to toe with Darkseid is a pretty memorable entrance for the Emerald Knight and I was thrilled to see him get his time in the spotlight. However, those fleeting moments were the only glimpse fans were provided of the hero not only in the film but in the entire Extended Universe thus far. This is undoubtedly because of the subpar attempt the studios have already made to bring the intergalactic lawman to the big screen. It’s no secret that 2011’s Green Lantern left a horrid taste in the mouths of anyone who was unlucky enough to sit through it. That being said though, heroes such as Batman and Superman have had WAY worse forays into the big screen (bat credit card, anyone?) yet were front and center in both versions of Justice League. It is long past due that the Green Lantern is granted a second chance.

There is, however, hope for fans of the Guardians of Oa! A 10-episode HBO Max series featuring a half dozen Green Lanterns across several decades was recently announced and should even be premiering sometime late this year or early next year! While I am of course ecstatic about the news it is still unclear as to whether or not this show will connect to the DCEU at large or if it will exist in its own bubble. Either way, I believe this is a hero that has been sidelined for far too long and absolutely deserves some cinematic redemption. So while I’m counting down the days until the show’s release, I still think there’s a lot of work to be done to pull this forgotten hero from blackest night and back into brightest day! Here are ten reasons why the Green Lantern deserves a second chance:

NEW STORIES ARE NEEDED FOR A POST-ZACK SNYDER DC UNIVERSE

After the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League on HBO Max, it has been made perfectly clear that Warner Brothers and DC Comics have no plans to continue with the director’s initial vision of their cinematic universe. Despite the generally positive reception of the director’s vision of the superhero team-up film and the ambitious plans he had laid in place for subsequent films, DC has since shifted from the dark and gritty world of Batman v Superman in favor of more light-hearted and fun films such as Shazam! and Aquaman. While I personally enjoyed both of these films and am excited to see these stories continue in the future, there is undoubtedly an overwhelming sense of loss from all the storylines left hanging from the Snyder cut of Justice League. Fans of the original universe took to social media with the hashtag #RestoretheSnyderVerse and while the same tactic may have worked in order for the Snyder cut to even see the light of day, it seems rather hopeless that Warner Brothers will listen this time around.

So where does that leave us? Well luckily we are sure to see Ben Affleck’s Batman, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, and Jason Momoa’s Aquaman again but other heroes seem less likely to make another appearance. It is unclear if we will see Henry Cavill’s Superman again and it’s rather public knowledge at this point that Ray Fisher and Warner Bros split ways after Fisher accused the studio of multiple points of inappropriate behavior not the least of which included cutting his character’s storyline almost entirely from the theatrical version of the film. So with no Superman or Cyborg and no plans in sight for featured side characters such as Deathstroke, Lex Luthor, the Joker, Martian Manhunter, and Darkseid, it is evident that DC is desperate for characters and stories that separate them from the past. Considering how sidelined the Green Lantern has been in the past, now is the perfect opportunity to explore the world, or, more accurately, universe of the Green Lantern Corps.

THE ORIGINAL FILM IS A POOR MISREPRESENTATION OF THE CHARACTER AND WORLD

In 2011, Warner Bros and DC brought one of their most popular and beloved characters to the big screen with...horrendous results. To say the Ryan Reynolds-starring Green Lantern was a critical and commercial failure would undermine the actual damage this film caused. Not only were there plans for a sequel but this film was originally supposed to kick off the DC Cinematic Universe! Were this film a success, we would have a decade’s worth of (hopefully) coherent, interconnected DC Universe stories all centered around the Emerald Knight himself. Forget Tony Stark, using an intergalactic lawman as connective tissue through a decade of storytelling invites some very exciting possibilities!

So what exactly went wrong? The answer is fairly simple: it is NOT a good movie. This may seem like a no-brainer but not only was it a bad movie it was the worst kind of bad movie: boring. Whereas something like Batman and Robin can easily be enjoyed ironically due to its laughably bad lines, acting, effects, etc., 2011’s Green Lantern is just completely devoid of life.

There is little to no effort in creating any depth or likability in the characters, the story’s romance is tacked-on and lifeless, and the visual effects/action sequences, something that ought to shine in a superhero blockbuster, range from visually abhorrent to noisy nonsense. In short, this film did the absolute bare minimum in every department. Anyone walking out of this film with little to no prior knowledge of the character beforehand would, understandably, have no interest in returning to this world. And just like that the Green Lantern brand is dead and any mention of it to the general audience leaves a sour taste in their mouth.

While I understand the disdain towards the original film, to discredit Green Lantern as a character because of his association with a film lacking in heart and imagination would be as ridiculous as discrediting a character like Wolverine because of his first solo outing in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Luckily, general audiences were quick to forgive the cigar-chomping mutant and because of that we were rewarded with Logan many years later, a film that is universally regarded as one of the best in the genre. (It should also be noted that Logan is Wolvy’s third solo adventure on the big screen...give someone else a chance already!) Green Lantern deserves to be respected as a character and property all its own, completely removed from the sins of Warner Bros’ past.

GIVE THE CHARACTER PROPER CARE AND THE AUDIENCE WILL RESPOND IN KIND

As previously mentioned, the 2011 film...was bad. Cinematic Universe killing bad. And yet the most tragic death in this situation is not in fact a multi-billion dollar decades-long film franchise but rather the character of Green Lantern himself. What do we truly know about Hal Jordan based off of his solo outing? What did we learn about the Lantern fighting alongside the Old Gods in Zack Snyder’s Justice League? Considering he didn’t even have a single line the answer of course is...nothing. Ask the layman and they’re sure to have zero knowledge about the character. If you don’t know anything about a character, how are you supposed to connect to them? Most people may recognize the Green Lantern as a silly looking guy in spandex with a magic ring but that’s about it. This, tragically, hardly scratches the surface.

Audiences can easily attach themselves to heroes like Batman or Spiderman because they are down-to-earth and each suffer from very relatable issues. Batman was traumatized at a young age after witnessing his parents murdered in front of him and Spiderman is just a kid struggling to juggle multiple responsibilities. Anyone can relate to mourning the loss of a loved one or feeling overwhelmed...but what does anyone have in common with magic jewelry and face masks? Well...actually probably a lot of people nowadays. But what is really so compelling about this particular piece of magic jewelry, from a characterization point of view, is that it is literally powered by the wearer’s will. The story of the Green Lantern is a story of will power. In a time where social media has heightened comparative thinking, political and economic turmoil is ever-present, and the world is undergoing a horrific climate crisis that is surely only to get worse in coming years, it is easy for anyone to lose motivation. A thorough, detailed character study of someone struggling to find their own will power while facing such existential challenges is exactly what we need today.

The characters of DC comics are often critiqued as being more like gods than actual people. In many respects, this is true. Superman is literally a Jesus allegory and Wonder Woman is brought to life by Zeus. While I can’t exactly relate to a man with the strength of a god or a human bolt of lightning that can travel through time, I can relate to a regular person being burdened with immense responsibility (much like everyone’s favorite wall-crawler). A Green Lantern’s ring may be other-worldly but unlike Superman or Wonder Woman, two-thirds of the “holy trinity” of DC comics, the wielder of said ring is simply human. Adding sme relatability and humanity into this cast of Olympians could help create a stronger connection to the general audience who, if I’m not mistaken, are in fact not gods.

THE GREEN LANTERN LORE AND THE EMOTIONAL SPECTRUM

One of the aspects of the world of the Green Lantern that I find so fascinating actually has little to do with any one Lantern. What attracts me to these stories has less to do with the ring-wielders themselves and more to do with the lore behind the rings. As mentioned, the Green Lanterns’ rings obtain their immense power from the wearer’s will power-the more will power, the stronger the Lantern. But this is just one out of nearly a dozen mystical powers in the universe that can be wielded in such a manner. The Emotional Spectrum, as it’s known, consists of will, fear, rage, hope, avarice, compassion, love, life and death. Each power has their own associated color scheme (so everyone is matching!) and unique characters that hold said power.

Exploring the Emotional Spectrum can really...well...add emotional depth to these stories. Just as Christopher Nolan built his Dark Knight trilogy around three core themes that explore Batman’s identity-fear, chaos/order, and pain-so too can filmmakers take advantage of this lore and use it to craft emotionally compelling films. There is ample opportunity to use the Green Lantern lore to explore how fear can dismantle one’s willpower. Or the tragic loneliness of greed versus the selflessness and peace that can come from a life of compassion. And the list goes on!

Much of my introduction to the character and its lore comes from the animated program Green Lantern: The Animated Adventures. The show follows Hal Jordan, fellow Lantern Killowog, and a Red Lantern as they travel aimlessly through the universe a la Lost in Space. Over the course of the show, they interact with several alien worlds and are often faced with lanterns of varying emotional strengths. This show is an excellent introduction for anyone interested and would make a fantastic template to explore each aspect of the Emotional Spectrum.

REAL-WORLD ISSUES CAN BE EXPLORED

So we’ve talked a lot about the Green Lanterns but what are they exactly? Batman is a vigilante, Wonder Woman is a warrior-princess, and Howard the Duck is an interdimensional talking duck. Rather straight-forward stuff. And while it may sound like the Green Lanterns are nothing but a group of space-jewelers, the truth is much more compelling. To become a Green Lantern, you must be chosen by the ring of a fallen former Lantern. Once you have been chosen, you are officially a member of an intergalactic space force known as the Green Lantern Corps. Essentially, once you get the ring, you’re a space cop. This invites a lot of fun possibilities with the character and how you tell their story. For example, you could easily base a sci-fi cop procedural television program around the Corps (Green Lantern: Spectrum Victims Unit?) or perhaps a space gangster film? Basically anything within that genre but, of course, set in space! This is definitely one approach to a story about intergalactic lawmen...but I propose something a little different.

Following the death of George Floyd in 2020, worldwide protests erupted calling for accountability in law enforcement and an end to police brutality. While there is certainly much to be said on this topic, here is not the place to do so. Instead, I simply want to acknowledge the fact that discussions about policing have been at the forefront of many people’s minds recently. A story about intergalactic police officers presents great opportunities for commentary on just such issues. There’s so much room here to create parallels to real life issues such as excessive use of force, racial profiling, good cops vs bad cops, and much more. Maybe a film about corruption throughout the Corps? Perhaps one Corps member takes his job a little too far and their partner has to decide how to deal with the situation? These may not be the most subtle analogies but with enough clever writing there is certainly a good story to be found here.

DIVERSITY

The Green Lantern Corps doesn’t always let humans join their intergalactic space force, but when they do they ensure their selection is a diverse reflection of their planet! From Alan Scott, a gay man in an interracial relationship, to Jessica Cruz, a Mexican-American AND Honduran-American, the Guardians of Oa have proven time and again that they are very progressive employers. In fact, these two Lanterns, and a handful of other similarly diverse characters, are already announced as lead roles in the HBO Max series! This is undoubtedly one of the reasons I am most excited about the show.

Diversity in television/film has become an increasingly large talking point throughout Hollywood and for good reason! Comic book storytelling specifically has been making significant strides lately including the introduction of Sam Wilson as the first African-American Captain America. With the Green Lantern TV show, and perhaps future films featuring the Emerald Knights, Latino, gay, and black viewers will each have a badass space cop representing them! It’s also worth mentioning that most viewers’ initial introduction to the DC hero was through the 2001 animated series Justice League. This program featured Jon Stewart, a black man, as the team’s designated Green Lantern. Just about anyone I have talked to about the Lanterns will bring Stewart into the conversation because of just how beloved a character he was in many of our childhoods. Bringing this character back to the big screen can kill two birds with one stone: re-ignite the interest of the general audience with a more recognizable character and continue to expand diversity in the superhero genre.

A VISUALLY UNIQUE POWER SET

Despite all my talk of the important themes and lore and diversity that accompanies a Green Lantern story (all of which are indeed very important) I must confess that none of this is where my initial interest in the character stems. Instead, I found myself fascinated by his creative and extraordinarily unique power set. Batman has a ton of gadgets, Superman can shoot lasers, Wonder Woman has a sword and shield...but Green Lantern? He has all three! And so much more! While harnessing their will power, a Green Lantern has the ability to form any construct he/she can picture in their mind. Need a machine gun for battle? You got it! How about a bridge to help trapped citizens cross a ravine? No problem! Need a fidget spinner to relax after fighting off a squadron of Manhunters? Go for it!!

The only limit to the Green Lanterns’ power is the limit of their imagination...and will power, I suppose. But this only invites endless possibilities and an immense amount of untapped potential. This is undeniably another reason the 2011 film fell flat. Without an imaginative storyteller behind the scenes we are reduced to fleeting action sequences including constructs of giant fists and Hot Wheels tracks. Whereas in animated form the Lanterns have been able to construct giant mech suits for battle and drills powerful enough to drill through the Earth’s crust! The biggest casualty in the Green Lantern’s cinematic history is the possibility that he/she invites. Throw a Green Lantern into the mix of an epic third act battle sequence and visually exciting action is sure to follow!

SPACE FILMS ARE ALL THE RAGE

While the DCEU has explored some of its comics most classic locations-Gotham City, Metropolis, Themyscira-there is one setting that has been particularly absent throughout: space. Though there were slight glimpses of Darkseid’s homeworld Apokolips in Zack Snyder’s Justice League and a brief action sequence on Krypton to open Man of Steel, the universe as a whole has felt less like a universe and more like a planet. The Marvel Cinematic Universe followed a similar structure in its early years, focusing mainly on earth-based heroes (with the exception of Thor) and later building to cosmic tales involving the Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel. As discussed earlier, since DC seems to be exploring several possible characters/worlds in years to come, now seems to be the opportune moment to open up the cosmic side of DC comics!

With the introduction of a Green Lantern, a space-based adventure is sure to follow. Though much of the 2011 film takes place on Earth, it would from time to time tiptoe into space to explore the planet Oa or to fight a giant CGI cloud. This is just the tip of the iceberg and considering the success of space-related science fiction as of late-Avengers, Star Wars, Star Trek, Gravity, The Martian-it appears this is a trend that won’t disappear anytime soon. This is the perfect opportunity to capitalize off the genre’s success and, with the unique stories this world has to offer, perhaps even transform the genre! The HBO Max series can take full advantage of this opportunity. A decades-spanning story across several mystical locations with monsters and heroes and a solid ten or so factions at war with each other? Sounds like a space Game of Thrones to me! But...hopefully with a better ending.

SINESTRO

One of the stronger elements of the original film, if not the strongest element, was Mark Strong’s performance as Sinestro. Sinestro is easily one of DC comics’ most interesting, powerful, and intimidating villains. Though it is unclear if Mark Strong would return to the role for the HBO Max series (in fact it seems unlikely if they tie this show into the DCEU as a whole, Strong recently portrayed the still very much alive Dr Sivana in Shazam!) his performance in the original film captures the character perfectly. He was intelligent, stern, threatening...he may have even been the only character in the film to have an arc! I was glued to the screen every time he appeared, his presence was undeniably powerful. Be it Sherlock Holmes, Kick-Ass, Shazam!, or Green Lantern, Mark Strong delivers big in the villainy department.

But enough about Mark Strong...the point I am making here is that Sinestro is a powerfully captivating character and should be used to his fullest extent. It has already been announced that he will appear in the HBO Max series and I am fascinated as to what they do with him. He initially appears as a Green Lantern himself until giving into the power of fear and wielding a Yellow Lantern ring, thereby forming his own corps: the Sinestro Corps. As previously mentioned, there is a lot of room in the show for commentary. Perhaps Sinestro is a hardened veteran corps member that believes in more aggressive tactics to achieve results? This is more or less his character’s role in the animated film Green Lantern: First Flight and I believe it's an excellent path to go down with this character. Whatever they decide to do though, I would consider this one of the Green Lantern story’s greatest strengths. Besides, a hero is only as good as their villain and Sinestro is an absolute top-tier villain.

GREEN LANTERN IS A VERY HEAVY HITTER IN A TEAM OF HEAVY HITTERS

Now if you will allow me to tiptoe into a bit nerdier direction I think you’ll find there’s much to be gained from Green Lantern as an ally in battle. In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Steppenwolf, the main antagonist, explains to his ally Dasaad that neither Lanterns nor Kryptonians protect Earth, making it an easy conquest. To put Lanterns on the same threat level as Kryptonians should highlight the immense power they hold. The Green Lantern ring has been cited as one of the most powerful weapons in the entire DC universe, if not the most powerful weapon, and allows the wearer to go toe to toe with heavy hitters such as Superman himself. It may seem rather ridiculous to focus on this point but in a team of VERY heavy hitters, the Justice League has often found Green Lantern to be one of its heaviest hitters.

So what does this say about the importance of the character? Well, considering his incredible power and ability to create anything out of his imagination it is undeniable he is a big help in times of crises. For example, in the comic issue “Justice League Vol. 1: The Extinction Machines”, there are tsunamis threatening several metropolitan areas throughout the world and other members of the league are too busy to assist. Not that Green Lantern Simon Baz needs the help, he just needs to create a dam the size and width of a major city, construct dozens of airships to lift the citizens out of the city, and try to look good while doing it. With the immense power the ring holds there is no question then that Green Lantern certainly earns his seat in the Hall of Justice.

VALIDATION

Lastly and perhaps most importantly, I want to feel validated! I’ve been a fan of this character for as far back as I can remember and the more I’ve explored the Green Lantern mythos, whether it be through animation, comic books, or video games, the more I grow to love it. Unfortunately, this love is not universal...especially after the character’s cinematic fall from grace. Ever since then the Green Lantern has more or less become the laughing stock of DC’s roster, going so far as being used as punchlines in films such as Justice League: War and The Lego Movie. A decade later, the dust has settled, the superhero genre as a whole has drastically changed and grown, and it is time to restore the honor of one of the Golden Era of Comics’ most beloved crime-fighters.

I‘m waiting eagerly for the forthcoming HBO Max program but remain cautiously optimistic. A Green Lantern Corps film was announced years ago by Warner Bros as part of their cinematic universe lineup but beyond that there has been little information about it. Whether it be through a television show or film I just hope that this time around Green Lantern gets a fair shot. There are rich, unique stories following the adventures of the Green Lantern Corps that are dying to be retold in a meaningful way. The pandemic brought about a lul in new content, especially from the superhero genre, so audiences are eager to embrace exciting new worlds and go on grand space adventures yet again. I myself am eager to share my love for the character and lore as soon as they are brought to life...properly this time.