Lanterns has been released, serving as the latest project to focus on one of DC's biggest heroes, Green Lantern, and here is where it stands among the list of Green Lantern movies and TV shows that have been released to date. There are several popular versions of Green Lantern in the comics, with both human and alien Green Lanterns becoming fan-favorites.
Additionally, multiple Green Lanterns have been members of the Justice League — even founding members — and other DC teams. Even so, the hero has ended up being one that has not starred in that many projects. For instance, no version of Green Lantern really had a role in the DCEU movie timeline, save for an alien cameo and a cut John Stewart appearance.
That said, this does not mean that there are not any exciting Green Lantern projects. While the DC hero had a shy presence in live-action, contained to the ill-received Ryan Reynolds movie, multiple versions of Green Lantern appeared in animated form over the years. That includes both movies and shows, allowing DC to experiment with the concept of its space cops.
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01
Lanterns is one of the tentpole TV series launching James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC Universe. On which streaming platform does it air?
ANetflix BHBO Max CDisney+ DApple TV+
✓ Correct! HBO Max — Warner Bros. Discovery’s flagship streamer and the natural home for DCU prestige TV alongside Peacemaker and The Penguin. Lanterns is positioned as the DCU’s high-end serialised drama counterpart to Gunn’s theatrical Superman relaunch, sharing canon with the films. Disney+ runs Marvel; Netflix and Apple are rival streamers.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is HBO Max. Netflix has had various superhero shows but not DCU. Disney+ is Marvel’s home. Apple TV+ doesn’t house DC. HBO Max is Warner Bros. Discovery’s streamer and the TV home of the Gunn/Safran DCU — Lanterns joins Peacemaker and upcoming DCU series there.
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02
Unlike most Green Lantern adaptations, Lanterns pairs two Earth-based ring-bearers in a buddy-cop framework — a weathered veteran and a newer recruit partnered together on Sector 2814 duty. Which two Lanterns lead the show?
AHal Jordan & Guy Gardner BHal Jordan & John Stewart CJohn Stewart & Kyle Rayner DHal Jordan & Kyle Rayner
✓ Correct! Hal Jordan and John Stewart — two of the most beloved Earth-assigned Lanterns — are paired as the show’s central duo. Hal is the hot-shot test-pilot veteran, John the disciplined ex-Marine architect with a sharper sense of justice. The pairing draws heavily from the Geoff Johns comics era and lets the show explore two very different philosophies of what a Green Lantern should be.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Guy Gardner (played by Nathan Fillion) is a separate DCU character who appears in the 2025 Superman film. Kyle Rayner is a beloved Lantern but not part of this show. The Lanterns duo is the Hal/John pairing — a pointedly contrasting veteran and recruit on Sector 2814 duty together.
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03
The role of Hal Jordan — the weathered, test-pilot-turned-space-cop original Earth Lantern — went to a veteran actor best known as Coach Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights and for leading Bloodline. Who plays Hal?
ARyan Reynolds (reprising) BKyle Chandler CNathan Fillion DChris Pine
✓ Correct! Kyle Chandler — Emmy winner for Friday Night Lights, star of Bloodline, and part of the Monsterverse (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) — plays an older, weathered Hal Jordan. James Gunn wanted a seasoned, grounded presence rather than a rookie. Ryan Reynolds played Hal in 2011’s widely-mocked Green Lantern film (a different continuity); Nathan Fillion plays Guy Gardner in the 2025 Superman film.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Kyle Chandler. Ryan Reynolds’ Hal was the 2011 film (a separate, mostly-disowned continuity). Nathan Fillion plays Guy Gardner in the 2025 Superman film — not Hal. Chris Pine isn’t in the DCU. Chandler’s weathered, Friday-Night-Lights gravitas is exactly the mature Hal energy Gunn wanted for the show.
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04
John Stewart — ex-Marine sniper, architect, and one of DC’s most iconic Black heroes — is played by a British actor who broke out in Barry Jenkins’ The Underground Railroad and Jeremy Saulnier’s Rebel Ridge. Who is he?
AAaron Pierre BWinston Duke CSterling K. Brown DJohn Boyega
✓ Correct! Aaron Pierre — the British actor who earned raves as Caesar in The Underground Railroad (2021) and carried Netflix’s Rebel Ridge (2024) with a performance frequently compared to early Denzel Washington. Gunn called his casting “a no-brainer.” Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown and John Boyega are all great actors but not in the role.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Aaron Pierre. Winston Duke is M’Baku in the Marvel universe. Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us, American Fiction) is Marvel-adjacent too. John Boyega famously played Finn in Star Wars. Pierre’s Rebel Ridge performance — playing a disciplined ex-Marine — is essentially his audition for John Stewart, and Gunn’s team cast him off it.
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05
James Gunn has repeatedly pitched Lanterns as a grounded, small-town murder-mystery thriller — where the space-cop rings are secondary to a detective case on Earth. Which acclaimed HBO series is his go-to tonal comparison?
ATrue Detective BThe Wire CWestworld DWatchmen
✓ Correct! Gunn has explicitly called Lanterns his “True Detective in the DCU” — a slow-burn, atmospheric, character-driven case with superhero elements layered over a grounded murder mystery. Showrunner Chris Mundy actually did True Detective: Night Country duties, bringing that DNA directly. Watchmen (Damon Lindelof) was also cited, and Lindelof has consulting writer credits, but True Detective is the primary comp.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is True Detective. Gunn has named it as the explicit tonal blueprint — a slow-burn, character-driven murder mystery with superhero elements layered over it. Chris Mundy, the show’s runner, worked on True Detective: Night Country, bringing the DNA directly. Watchmen was a secondary comp (Damon Lindelof consults), but True Detective is the primary pitch.
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06
When James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as DC Studios co-CEOs in 2022, they announced a rebooted slate of interconnected films and TV shows — with Lanterns among the launch titles. What is this first DCU phase officially called?
AChapter 1: Gods and Monsters BCrisis on Infinite Earths CThe Flashpoint Initiative DDark Knights Rising
✓ Correct! Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters — announced in January 2023 as the Gunn/Safran DCU’s opening slate. It includes Superman (2025), The Authority, Supergirl, The Brave and the Bold, Paradise Lost, Waller, Creature Commandos, and of course Lanterns. Crisis on Infinite Earths is a comics event; Flashpoint and Dark Knights are other DC storylines, not the chapter branding.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. Crisis on Infinite Earths is a famous DC comics crossover event (and Arrowverse crossover) but not a DCU chapter label. Flashpoint was referenced in The Flash (2023) from the now-defunct DCEU. The Gunn/Safran era officially named its launch phase Gods and Monsters — Superman 2025, Lanterns, and related titles.
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07
Green Lanterns serve the Guardians of the Universe, an ancient race who created the Corps’ 3,600-sector peacekeeping force and charge the Lantern rings from a central Power Battery on their home planet. What is the Guardians’ homeworld called?
AKrypton BOa CThemyscira DApokolips
✓ Correct! Oa — the small blue-skinned Guardians’ home at the centre of the universe. It houses the Central Power Battery from which all Green Lantern rings draw their energy, and serves as the Corps’ academy and operational base. Krypton is Superman’s destroyed homeworld; Themyscira is Wonder Woman’s hidden Amazon island; Apokolips is Darkseid’s hellscape.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Oa. Krypton is Superman’s homeworld. Themyscira is Paradise Island where Wonder Woman was raised. Apokolips is Darkseid’s grim world in the Fourth World mythos. Oa is specifically the Guardians of the Universe’s planet — home to the Central Power Battery that fuels every Green Lantern ring in all 3,600 sectors.
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08
Every Green Lantern recites the same oath when charging their ring — a four-line rhyming incantation that’s become one of the most famous pieces of verse in comic-book history. How does it famously begin?
A“In the darkest hour, a light shall rise...” B“In brightest day, in blackest night...” C“By the power of Oa, I serve...” D“Ring of willpower, heed my call...”
✓ Correct! “In brightest day, in blackest night / No evil shall escape my sight / Let those who worship evil’s might / Beware my power — Green Lantern’s light!” The oath dates back to 1940’s All-American Comics #16, was refined through the Silver Age, and is considered one of DC’s most sacred bits of verse. Every canonical adaptation includes some version of it.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is “In brightest day, in blackest night...” The full oath: “No evil shall escape my sight / Let those who worship evil’s might / Beware my power — Green Lantern’s light!” It’s been canon since 1940 and remains one of comics’ most instantly recognisable pieces of verse — recited in every major Green Lantern adaptation.
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While I would have liked if there had been more live-action Green Lantern projects before Lanterns, DC's animated movies and TV shows stand tall as some of the best releases in the comic book giant's history. As such, it might be harder than some think to say exactly which Green Lantern release is better than the others, but I believe this order is what makes the most sense, with a surprise.
7 Green Lantern
At the bottom of the list, as most must have guessed, is Reynolds' live-action Green Lantern movie from 2011. Sure, there is some fun to be had with the DC movie, as I enjoyed seeing OA and the exploration of the Green Lantern's cosmic side. However, the film never really decides what it wants to be. Instead of going full space opera, 2011's Green Lantern keeps taking the action back to Earth.
Sadly, Green Lantern, and Reynolds' version of Hal Jordan, are also both a lot more silly than they should be. There are brief moments where I see Hal's confidence and sarcasm shine through, but most of the time I was just wondering why Reynolds was not playing Guy Gardner instead. Mark Strong's Sinestro, though, was perfect casting and looked like he jumped right off the comics, if only he was not in a movie filled with exposition and weak beats.
6 Green Lantern: Beware My Power
Green Lantern: Beware My Power is part of the Tomorrowverse continuity of DC's animated movies. I quite like Aldis Hodge's performance as John Stewart and hope he returns as his live-action Hawkman role from the DCEU in James Gunn's DC Universe. It was also nice to see Jimmi Simpson as Green Arrow, with the animated movie exploring that key friendship from the comics, though with a twist. However, I understand that the Tomorrowverse's animation is not appealing to all.
Additionally, the biggest reason Green Lantern: Beware My Power is near the bottom of the list is due to it being way too ambitious for its own sake. The animated movie simply tried to pack multiple DC Comics storylines that needed their own movie to breathe, if not an entire season of a TV show. Some of those include Emerald Twilight, the Sinestro Corps, the Rann-Thanagar War, and more.
5 Green Lantern: Emerald Knights
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights starts to elevate the level of the releases on this DC list. The movie plays as an anthology. At its center is Hal Jordan and others, like Sinestro and Kilowog, explaining the history of the Green Lantern Corps to the new recruit Arisia Rrab. This is an animated movie that serves as a solid gateway into the Green Lantern Corps' lore for anyone who might not know much about it.
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights is also filled with excellent performances, including DCU Guy Gardner actor Nathan Fillion as the voice of another hero, Hal Jordan, with The Handmaid's Tale star Elizabeth Moss as the Green Lantern recruit Arisia Rrab, Harry Potter franchise's Jason Isaacs as Sinestro, and more. The Green Lantern movie does not rank higher because the anthology structure limits its potential, as every story ends just as the audience is connecting with those characters.
4 Green Lantern: First Flight
Green Lantern: First Flight is firmly focused on one story and character. As its title suggests, the animated DC movie spotlights the first mission that Hal Jordan went on after becoming a Green Lantern. While Reynolds' live-action Green Lantern movie did not really know when to ditch Earth for space, Green Lantern: First Flight excels with its grand cosmic scope, serving as a powerful origin story for Hal.
Green Lantern: First Flight adapts Sinestro's fall from grace in a strong way. Watching Hal go from being trained by Sinestro to slowly realizing what he really stands for and what he wants, uncovering a dark plot, makes this one of the most engaging Green Lantern releases. Green Lantern: First Flight's fight sequences, particularly one towards the end between Hal and Sinestro, hit hard.
3 Justice League: The New Frontier
Justice League: The New Frontier is a unique entry on the list, as it is the only project featured here not to be an outright Green Lantern movie or TV show. That said, I believe an argument can be made for its inclusion, as Hal Jordan is firmly the main character of this team outing. Justice League: The New Frontier starts with Hal Jordan as a Korean War pilot and slowly sees him become a superhero.
There is a strong emotional core as Hal begins to regain his courage after being affected by the horrors of war. For a hero who is known for his immense willpower in the comics, this is a nuanced look at Hal, making the Justice League movie a complex Green Lantern story at heart. This is what animated adaptations should do — tell moving stories with characters we love in inspired new ways when compared to the comics.
2 Lanterns
Lanterns is easily one of the best Green Lantern projects to date. It is not the cosmic superhero series that many may have expected for the Green Lanterns' first live-action project since Reynolds' film, but it perfectly blends the classic gritty tone and mystery of HBO shows like True Detective and Mare of Easttown, while still showing off the Green Lantern constructs that fans had waited several years to see.
Lanterns can't rank higher on this list because only one episode has been released to the public thus far. That said, in a single hour, the new HBO series managed to pack a lot of DC lore, creating complex portrayals of Hal Jordan and John Stewart, without it ever feeling like there was too much exposition or the pacing was uneven. Lanterns deserves to rank as high as 2nd because it is instantly one of the best live-action DC shows ever.
1 Green Lantern: The Animated Series
With Lanterns in 2nd, the best Green Lantern movie or TV show released up to this point has to be Green Lantern: The Animated Series. Much like how Batman: The Animated Series stands as a seminal release for DC's Dark Knight, this Green Lantern show is the ultimate gateway into the Green Lantern Corps' side of the DC universe. You want cosmic action after watching HBO's grounded Lanterns? This is your DC project.
In Green Lantern: The Animated Series, viewers follow Hal Jordan, voiced by Josh Keaton, and Kilowog (Kevin Michael Richardson)) as they get involved in with Atrocitus (Jonathan Adams) and the Red Lantern Corps. Green Lantern: The Animated Series beautifully explores the emotional spectrum, showing different types of philosophies for other Lanterns, and adapts key comic book arcs. Its original characters have also become beloved additions to DC lore, and for all those reasons, it is the best Green Lantern movie or TV show to date.
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Green Lantern: Emerald Knights
Release Date April 9, 2011
Runtime 84 minutes
Cast
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Hal Jordan / Green Lantern (voice)
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Elisabeth Moss
Arisia Rrab (voice)
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Henry Rollins
Kilowog (voice)
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Green Lantern: First Flight
Release Date July 28, 2009
Runtime 75 minutes
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Christopher Meloni
Hal Jordan (voice)
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Victor Garber
Sinestro (voice)
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English (US) ·