James Gunn is standing behind the decision to kill off Hal Jordan early in DC Studios’ “Lanterns” series, pushing back directly at fans who say the show has mistreated one of DC’s most iconic characters.
The exchange started on X when a fan named koda_moon2200 replied to another user’s criticism of the show, writing, “It’s made just for you. People who have never read Green Lantern comics.” Gunn, posting from the official DCU account, responded with a defense of the creative liberties the show has taken:
“I’d say avid comics readers are well aware of the differences from universe to universe. Whether it’s the DCU or Earth 0 or the Absolute Universe, they all pay homage to these iconic characters, retelling their stories in different ways. Heck, even the MCU combined elements of the Ultimate universe, the 616, and original ideas. That’s how these things work. But if you want the DCU to take the exact trajectory of whatever your favorite comics continuity is, that’s probably not going to happen.”
A second user, perfeycton.catch, pressed Gunn further, writing, “Maybe you should try and at least respect the characters that made the comics popular. Killing Hal off right away after we have waited 15 years to see him on screen again was the worst thing you could have done.”
Gunn replied in full:
“Hal’s the star of TV series & he’s in all the episodes so far. It’s more live action screen time than all the live action screen time he’s had combined throughout history. Kyle is amazing in the role. We more than respect him. We love him, despite his imperfections. Us knowing the time of his death, if that’s exactly what that is, is absolutely not the same thing as killing him off right away. Hal is a big reason why the show is so popular with fans & non fans alike; sorry if you don’t like it.”
The reply drew 290 likes and dozens of replies, many from Green Lantern fans unconvinced by Gunn’s framing.
“Lanterns” has been positioned by DC Studios as a flagship live-action series for the rebooted DCU, but the show has increasingly been described by fans as a passing of the torch away from Hal Jordan, the character most associated with the Green Lantern name since his 1959 debut. Reports and early reactions have pointed to Hal’s death or disappearance early in the series, with the show instead centering John Stewart and Kyle Rayner. Fans have also criticized the writing choices around Hal himself, with multiple viewers describing his portrayal in early material as abrasive and unlikeable rather than the confident test pilot readers grew up with.
For a character with fifteen years of buildup since Ryan Reynolds’ 2011 film and decades of comics history behind him, the decision to write him out this early has become one of the most contentious moves DC Studios has made under Gunn’s tenure. Gunn’s response that “avid comics readers are well aware of the differences from universe to universe” places the burden of adjustment on longtime fans rather than the writers making the changes, a framing DC Studios has leaned on before when defending departures from established character histories.
Gunn did not walk back the decision in either reply. He instead argued that giving Hal more screen time than he has ever had in live action outweighs how that screen time is being used.
Is a character getting more minutes on screen the same thing as that character being respected, or does what happens to him in those minutes matter more than the runtime?
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Glad he could find the time to do that between researching and editing in needle drop songs to whatever film he’s directing or shadow-directing.