Which Green Lantern will headline HBO Max's upcoming series? Five possible superheroes who fit the bill apart from Hal Jordan
There are a lot of Lanterns, clamoring for the bright green limelight for on-screen portrayals. 2011 saw the infamous ‘Green Lantern’ movie, starring Ryan Reynolds bring Hal Jordan to the silver screen - it did not work out well. Greg Berlanti, one of the writers on that movie, will be producing HBO Max’s Green Lantern series. If he wants to distance himself from the 2011 film, he could do worse than choosing another of Earth’s many Green Lanterns from the comics to star in the new show. He’s got a fair number to be able to choose from:
1. John Stewart
First of the Green Lanterns to take up the mantle after Hal Jordan in the comics, John originally made himself distinct with his outrage at social injustice, and a massive chip on his shoulder. He has since grown to be defined more by his stoic background as a soldier and architect. For many, he is the Green Lantern who defined their childhoods as a member of the Justice League on the ‘Justice League Unlimited’ animated series.
2. Kyle Rayner
In the 90s, Hal Jordan went full villain, taking on the name Parallax and effectively ending the Green Lantern Corps. The last of the Guardians, Ganthet, was in a rush to find the next Green Lantern to take the Corps’ final ring. Teleporting to Earth, Kyle Rayner was the first person he saw, to whom he famously then said, “You’ll do.” Rayner was DC’s only Green Lantern for 20 years. A comic book illustrator, he brought a style and imagination to his constructs that few other Lanterns have ever matched.
3. Simon Baz
If the ‘Green Lantern’ show wants to make their character distinctive, they couldn’t do better than Simon Baz. A Muslim carjacker with the Arabic word for ‘courage’ tattooed on his forearm that glows green when he’s in costume(it’s a miracle that no one’s figured out his secret identity), Baz is a visually distinct character even without the gun he sported in his early appearances. Debuting in 2012, he’s a relatively new character. Out of all the Green Lanterns on this list, Baz is the only Lantern who is yet to make an on-screen appearance, animated or otherwise.
4. Jessica Cruz
Another Lantern who’s been recently introduced, Jessica Cruz has found a home on ‘DC Super Hero Girls.’ One of the defining aspects of Jessica Cruz’s superhero journey is her struggle with anxiety, which would be an extremely relatable thing for the HBO Max show to cover. After all, what’s more ‘Green Lantern’ than the story of overcoming your fears?
5. Alan Scott
All of the above are illustrious members of the Green Lantern Corps, but let’s not forget the first Green Lantern of them all - Alan Scott. Hal Jordan, and the concept of the Green Lantern Corps, was actually a reboot of the Green Lantern mythos. Alan Scott’s Green Lantern got his ring from an alien meteorite. A Green Lantern show starring Alan Scott would remove the cosmic space-cop angle to the show, and instead leave space for something entirely new.
There are a few other Earth-based Green Lanterns who’ve carried the Green Lantern mantle, and, of course, there are an innumerable amount of aliens to choose from, as well. While little is known about the upcoming series, one thing’s for sure - there are a lot of options as to what the show could be.