The Lanterns Trailer Raises A Big Question About A Superman Character – The Comics Have The Answer

At long last, we have a new live-action version of "Green Lantern" to look forward to. For most DC fans, the less said about the 2011 movie, the better. Now, though, DC Studios has released the first trailer for "Lanterns," which goes full "True Detective" in the DC Universe. The live-action show airs on HBO and HBO Max later this year, and it introduces both John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) to the DCU. But the trailer does raise questions about another character within this universe.

Director James Gunn's "Superman" introduced us to Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner last year. He also reprised the role in "Peacemaker" season 2 as part of a giant retcon, but that's another conversation entirely. The point is, he was the first member of the Green Lantern Corps. audiences met in the new DCU. Yet, something in this new trailer raises a big question about him.

At the end of the trailer, John asks Hal if he ever speaks to the other Green Lanterns. "I'm the only human. They're aliens," Hal says in response. However, anyone who's seen "Superman" would probably tell you that Guy is a human. So, what gives? For starters, let's get into what this show is actually about, which offers a jumping-off point for possible answers to this question. The synopsis for "Lanterns" reads as follows:

The series follows new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.

The "Lanterns" TV show is very much an Earth-bound adventure that looks much more grounded than "Superman." Bringing in someone like Guy Gardner, who has more of a larger-than-life personality, might complicate matters in terms of keeping the tone in check. But that doesn't explain the alien bit. The answer to that may well lie in the pages of DC Comics.

Guy Gardner is one of the most powerful Green Lanterns in the DC Universe. But he's also not entirely human, setting him apart from John Stewart and Hal Jordan. The 1994 series "Guy Gardner: Warrior" issue #25 reveals that Guy is a human/alien hybrid, per DC.com. This is because a member of an alien race known as the Vuldarians mated with a human many generations ago within Gardner's bloodline. Once he learned of his alien heritage, Guy also managed to unlock new abilities, including the ability to transform various body parts into deadly weapons.

Not for nothing, but Guy Gardner wasn't Nathan Fillion's first time playing a Green Lantern, as he previously voiced Hal Jordan on the animation side of the DC Universe. In any case, though it wasn't explored on screen in "Superman," if James Gunn, who also serves as the co-head of DC Studios at Warner Bros. alongside Peter Safran, sticks to the comic book roots, Hal's comment in the "Lanterns" trailer still totally checks out.

This would be the simplest and most obvious way to explain Hal's comment in the trailer. There is, however, another option, albeit one that opens up another host of questions that would need addressing.

It's entirely possible that "Lanterns" takes place earlier on the overall DC Universe timeline. Not just before "Superman," but before Guy Gardner and the Justice Gang's existence was revealed to the world at large. Probably not too much earlier, as the trailer looks fairly modern amidst the backdrop of a small town, but earlier nonetheless.

The new DC Universe timeline has been explained by James Gunn, which isn't complicated, at least as he tells it. "As of now it's basically as the movies and shows come out — although of course some of these feature flashbacks," he said previously, though he did namecheck "Lanterns" as a show that will have flashbacks.

This implies strongly that the show, largely speaking, takes place after the events of "Superman" but before the events of next year's "Man of Tomorrow," which will likely feature at least one Green Lantern as well as Hawkgirl, among other familiar faces.

So where does that leave us? We're back to assuming that Guy Gardner is probably half alien, just as he is in the pages of DC Comics. Either way, the trailer strongly implies that Hal Jordan hasn't had much (if any) communication with Guy or any of the other members of the Green Lantern Corps. That still leaves the door open for cameos if the mission at hand gets too big for just Hal and John, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves just yet.

"Lanterns" premieres in August on HBO and HBO Max.