James Gunn is once again facing DC fan scrutiny after using a Green Lantern comic cover to explain how the DCU can support different tones and genres.
The issue? The cover Gunn shared on Threads is Green Lantern #25 from the 1990 series, part of Gerard Jones’ run on the character.
Jones was arrested in 2016 and convicted in a child pornography case and sentenced to six years in prison.
James Gunn says the DCU can have different genres
Following the release of the Clayface trailer, Gunn responded to fans asking how the DCU can include a horror film like Clayface while also connecting to Superman, Lanterns, Peacemaker, and other projects.
“Since the release of the Clayface trailer people have asked me, ‘How is that going to work? One universe, different feels and genres?’ My answer is just like in the comics where different creative voices and visions inspire each project. Each story has purpose within itself, outside of all others. But another part of the fun can be when seemingly disparate strands come together in an elegant way,” Gunn posted on Threads.
In the post, Gunn included nine covers from DC Comics, which show off how DC has always jumped from space opera to horror, street-level crime, fantasy, comedy, and superhero action.
Gunn uses Green Lantern #25 cover from Gerard Jones’ run
Gunn included the cover for Green Lantern #25, published in 1992.
The issue, titled “Prize Fight,” centers on Hal Jordan returning to Earth to confront Guy Gardner, with the two fighting over who gets to keep the Green Lantern title for Sector 2814.
The issue was written by Gerard Jones, who had a major run on Green Lantern in the early 1990s. That run also included major work involving Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, and the larger Green Lantern Corps.
That may be why Gunn grabbed the cover. Lanterns is set to introduce John Stewart alongside Hal Jordan in the DCU, and Guy Gardner has already appeared in Superman.
Gunn is also bringing Green Lantern characters into Man of Tomorrow, so the image could have been meant as a general tease for how these characters connect.
It also could be a more specific nod to Hal Jordan vs. Guy Gardner, since Green Lantern #25 is built around that fight. It could be something we’ll see in Lanterns.
Gerard Jones’ criminal history makes the post controversial
However, the controversy comes from Jones’ criminal history.
Jones was arrested in 2016 and later pleaded guilty in 2018 after authorities found numerous electronic devices containing “tens of thousands of images and hundreds of videos” of child sexual abuse material.
The Department of Justice announced in August 2018 that Jones was sentenced to 72 months in prison for distributing and possessing child pornography, followed by supervised release.
Jones was released from prison in December 2022.
Gunn’s use of the cover, at the very least, is questionable. Gunn is the co-head of DC Studios. Every tease gets dissected. Every image is treated like a clue. So when he uses a comic tied to a convicted writer while talking about the future of the DCU, fans are going to notice.
DC Comics has also reportedly avoided reprinting Gerard Jones’ Green Lantern run, yet now we have the head of DC Studios seemingly promoting it.
Gunn’s own past makes the optics worse
The issue also hits harder because Gunn has his own history with online controversy.
Disney fired Gunn from Marvel in 2018 after old offensive tweets resurfaced. He was later rehired, but that chapter remains part of the public conversation around him.
Gunn has also been criticized online over past associations, including Huston Huddleston, who was convicted in 2018 of possession of child pornography.
Is Gunn teasing Lanterns?
Green Lantern #25 features Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner, two characters now active in Gunn’s DCU plans. Nathan Fillion plays Guy Gardner, while Kyle Chandler is playing Hal Jordan in Lanterns. Aaron Pierre plays John Stewart.
Again, the comic also comes from a Green Lantern era where John Stewart played a major role, which lines up with Gunn’s upcoming DCU focus. Lanterns is expected to be one of the key projects setting up the larger DCU story.
So Gunn may have simply used the cover because it represents the exact point he was making: different DC characters and tones colliding in one shared comic universe.
Still, the Gerard Jones connection adds baggage to what should have been a simple post.
Not the best look for DC Studios
At best, this was an oversight. At worst, it is another example of Gunn posting first and letting the internet sort out the fallout after.
It’s more James Gunn DCU divisiveness.
The DCU is already dealing with fan arguments over tone, continuity, Clayface, Superman, Lanterns, and whether Gunn’s connected universe can actually hold together.
Now a Green Lantern image has opened up another controversy that could have easily been avoided.
If Gunn was teasing Hal Jordan vs. Guy Gardner or the role of John Stewart in the DCU, fans will pick up on that.
But the Gerard Jones connection is not going away either.
