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Is DC Studios setting up Green Lantern Hal Jordan's death in the Lanterns teaser?

The second teaser of HBO Max's Lanterns hints at a grim fate for Hal Jordan and his Green Lantern protégé, John Stewart

An image of Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in HBO's Lanterns
Image credit: HBO

The second teaser for HBO Max's Lanterns show has one question for you: Are you afraid? And for good reason: the teaser states that the Green Lantern ring is "the greatest weapon in the universe." 

After the first teaser for the upcoming DC Studios show was light on Green Lantern feats and heavy on establishing the dynamic between Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre's John Stewart, fans have been eager to see some green. And HBO Max has delivered, literally, with Hal forming a Green Lantern construct in the shape of a twenty-dollar bill, presumably to fire up a tune at a bar's jukebox. Curious behavior from an intergalactic lawman, but let's also remember that Hal Jordan has been both homeless and living out of a trailer before in DC Comics, so it isn't surprising that he would be a penny pincher in Lanterns. Take a look at the trailer below. 

Something also worth noting is that Hal says something rather ominous in the teaser. He tells John, "The only way you’re gonna get this ring is over my dead fuckin' body," which can be a statement with a double meaning. On the surface, Hal could mean that he's only going to let John wield what he believes is "the greatest weapon in the universe" only when John is ready for such a responsibility. But because this is a True Detective-inspired Green Lantern show, Hal's words could also be foreshadowing his own death. Because Green Lantern rings search out new owners every time a Lantern dies. Could the John Stewart of this new DC Universe get his Lantern ring when Hal Jordan dies? 

Hal also is cagey about how he got his ring in the first place. In the comics, Hal got his ring when an alien Lantern named Abin Sur crashed on Earth. Hal comforted Abin Sur in his final moments, and the rest is history. Could Hal be wrestling with his own mortality in Lanterns, which is part of the reason why he's so hard on John? There is a lot to be unpacked and theorized here. 

We'll get some answers when Lanterns begins streaming on August 16 on HBO Max.  


Jules Chin Greene

Jules Chin Greene: Jules Chin Greene is a journalist and Jack Kirby enthusiast. He has written about comics, video games, movies, and television for sites such as Nerdist, AIPT, and Multiverse of Color.

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