James Gunn has been busy directing the first chapter of the new DCU i.e. Superman (formerly Superman: Legacy). He is also simultaneously directing some episodes of Peacemaker season 2 and is handling all the grunt work that comes with being the co-chief of the new DC Studios.
It seems like part of the grunt work includes answering for the past projects of the DCU (then the DCEU). The filmmaker was recently asked by a fan about the Green Lantern TV show for HBO Max that was in development starring American Horror Story’s Finn Wittrock. Gunn reportedly clarified the status of the project, which was announced back in 2021.
Actor Finn Wittrock Was Supposed to Headline A Green Lantern Series
The DCEU has announced many projects in the past including films and TV shows that eventually never saw the light of day. Films such as the Man of Steel sequel, a Wonder Woman threequel, and a Batman Beyond film were planned, but many of them were canceled even before being fully developed.
One such planned show was the HBO series Green Lantern, which was announced in 2021. Described as a series sprawling across decades and focusing on Guy Gardner’s iteration of the superhero, the show reportedly starred Finn Wittrock in the lead role as Guy Gardner. Gardner was known for his hyper-masculinity and patriotism, and was a popular antihero.
The show was being developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Seth Grahame-Smith (via Deadline). According to Deadline, the show was described as a story spanning decades and galaxies, beginning in 1941. The synopsis read,
“… beginning on Earth in 1941 with the very first Green Lantern, secretly gay FBI agent Alan Scott, and 1984, with cocky alpha male Guy Gardner (Wittrock) and half-alien Bree Jarta.”
Other iterations of the Green Lantern were also touted to be appearing in the show, including Jessica Cruz, the first female Lantern, and Simon Baz.
James Gunn Debunks The Mystery Behind HBO’s Green Lantern
After James Gunn was appointed as the co-chief of DC Studios along with Peter Safran, many of the shows and films that were being planned for the DCEU were reevaluated. Some projects such as Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel were canceled while other ‘Elseworld’ stories such as The Batman: Part II and Joker: Folie à Deux were allowed to continue (via Cosmic Book News).
Recently, Gunn was asked by a fan on Threads (where the filmmaker is active) about the Green Lantern show starring Finn Wittrock. The fan asked whether there was any development regarding the show and suggested that would he cast Wittrock in anything else as he had been ‘done dirty’ by the show as it languished in development. Gunn responded,
“I didn’t think it was in the DCEU, but it was before my time. That said, I think Finn’s a talented guy and he’ll be okay! Writers, directors, actors have projects fall through every day. We’ve all had it happen many times. It’s not being ‘done dirty’, it’s a part of the job.”
James Gunn himself has announced a show focusing on the Green Lantern Corps, which is set to be a detective story featuring the Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Peter Safran described it as a True Detective-esque show that would follow a mystery spanning the galaxy (via Variety). Gunn has also reportedly already cast Guy Gardner’s role in Superman, with Nathan Fillion taking over the character.
