NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
HBO finally dropped the trailer for the new Lanterns series, set to debut this August. The next installment of the Peter Safran/James Gunn-led DCU has the internet divide, per the usual comic book/fandom that surrounds any teaser these days. While there’s plenty to break down from the trailer, there are key pieces they’re missing that will define the story. Teasers are just that, something that teases, not release the whole story. So, yes, I do believe there’s a reason this trailer did not show off the Lanterns’ powers by choice.
Lanterns will arrive after Supergirl hits theaters on June 26th of this year. So far, they’ve kept the curtains closed on the DCU’s direction to build suspense for each movie and show. This one is no different. However, there’s plenty in the Lanterns trailer that gives away where this story is going.
The main story in the trailer is the passing of the torch to Jon Stewart as Green Lantern, but it’s not because Hal has his hands full. The whole theme of this trailer is that Hal is getting older and more tired. What happens to any hero who has lived out their day? One that is in the backside of their career? They’re not as strong as they once were? They move a little more slowly and search for the next one up to do their job.
That’s more than likely what is playing out in the Lantern series. Hal is trying to pass on the mantle to Jon. He’s not as strong as he once was. Since a Lantern’s main attribute is strength/willpower, he needs to find someone who can take over for him.
In the trailer, we see only Hal flying or having anything to do with the Green Lantern’s power in use, and that’s probably by choice. You have to remember this is episodic television, meaning the story will play out over multiple weeks. The choice to not show Hal with the full extent of a Green Lantern and simultaneously not showing Jon with any power is likely built into the story.
What if the whole reason Hal is passing on the ring is that he’s losing his power figuratively and literally? He’s one of the strongest Lanterns we know, but he is just a man, and men get old and fade. It’s a part of life. I’m not worried about the “green” not being shown in the trailer because we’ve already seen the strength of a Lantern in Guy Gardner in the Superman movie. Hal’s power will fade, and Jon will pick up the ring where he left off. There’s no need to overreact; they’re building a post-Hal Jordan Lanterns story.
