If James Gunn’s vision is to silence the relentless critics and surpass his predecessor’s unparalleled creation and legacy, he will need to bring out the big guns. And that calls for a Green Lantern movie, stat. The harbinger of all things powered by the sheer force of will, a Green Lantern’s shortcoming is only ever defined by the limitations of his beliefs, and as such, there are no limits to the superhero’s strengths.
But even among those blessed with the extraterrestrial ring, there have been only a few who have surpassed as the best of the best. On Earth, that title belongs to John Stewart. And he may soon find a home at DCU.
Also read: James Gunn Fulfills Zack Snyder’s Dream, Seemingly Confirms Green Lantern is Coming to DCU
Will James Gunn Bring the Green Lanterns Back to the DCU?
So far, there have only been speculations rife with anticipation and excitement about those coveted blueprints to the DC Universe Bible. And speculations include easter eggs from the social media activity of James Gunn himself. For several weeks, the DC Studios co-chief has teased the arrival of a Kingdom Come storyline. And for a while, it seemed as though Henry Cavill was truly back for good. But the recent controversial The Hollywood Reporter exclusive on Wonder Woman 3 set off a string of declarations and online reports, involving a lengthy statement from James Gunn himself.
Among the statements that Gunn dropped, there were indications that even though a majority of the SnyderVerse would be under the knife, the DC Studios chief was working hard to ensure that the DC Universe canon at large would be honored and characters that the audience and comic book fans love and treasure so much will be brought alive.
We know we are not going to make every single person happy every step of the way, but we can promise everything we do is done in the service of the STORY & in the service of the DC CHARACTERS we know you cherish and we have cherished our whole lives.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 8, 2022
This definitely includes the Seven that make up the vanguard of DC’s superhero identity. And who better to embody the character of Green Lantern in this new, stronger, and reborn DCU than John Stewart himself, the greatest of them all?
On top of that, Warner Bros. had already begun ideating about a new Green Lantern show for HBO Max (which unsurprisingly is still in development). The latest reports on the series indicate a reduced budget with the focus shifting from its previously surmised characters, Alan Scott and Guy Gardener, to a solo John Stewart space-faring adventure. Whether this will be later made canon in the DCU by James Gunn is not yet known.
A John Stewart Movie Could Deliver Redemption to the DCU
The current culmination of events that have led to this moment has been rocky at best. With less than a week remaining for Gunn and Safran to deliver their DC Universe Bible to David Zaslav, the fandom has been left to wonder if the news would be cause for celebration or disappointment (perhaps even a bit of both). One of the first courses of action that the CEO took was ensuring that DC is not simply undergoing a facelift but an entire metamorphosis of identity.
Also read: 5 Reasons Guy Gardner Is The Most Hated Green Lantern
Whether this metamorphosis includes a new John Stewart movie or not is yet to be discovered. But some theories can be termed definitive in the future of DCU. Considering that Gunn is charting out the next 10 years of the franchise with an interconnected narrative, at worst the plan would involve a convergence of the superheroes for a team-up event. A counterpart of Marvel’s Avengers, the DC comic canon involves in its core the seven heroes who need to come together at least once in the coming decade (it is highly unlikely for Gunn to not incorporate a single Justice League event in his broad brushstrokes).
The amount of rehashing and changes at DC did put a stop to future sequels and spin-offs but in the long run, a clean slate starting immediately will work better for the fandom in the long run rather than another disappointing sequel to Patty Jenkins’s Wonder Woman 1984.
Source: Heat Vision
