UPDATE 10/6: The finale reveals who killed Hal, and Tom King explains why the killer walks free: “Jail isn’t worse than that.”
UPDATE 10/4: The finale confirms Hal Jordan stays dead, and fans are sounding off again. Some think Hal comes back as Parallax.
UPDATE 9/28: Episode 7 reveals what really happened to Hal Jordan, and Gunn is back on Threads saying he’s seen Lanterns 500 times.
James Gunn is answering for Lanterns Episode 6.
Sunday’s episode confirmed the death of Hal Jordan, and Green Lantern fans let the DC Studios co-head hear about it.
Gunn spent Monday replying on Threads, telling one fan “sorry if you don’t like it,” and another that the DCU following their favorite comics continuity is “probably not going to happen.”
What Happens In Lanterns Episode 6
The episode reveals that following the events of Episode 5, Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan went to prison for 10 years.
By 2026, Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart has become an architect, pitching a multi-billion-dollar deal to the government.
The episode then follows Hal’s body being discovered in the stands.
And it sees John dig up Hal’s body to steal the Green Lantern ring.
‘We Love Him, Despite His Imperfections’
One fan told Gunn to “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,” the fan wrote.
Gunn’s answer, 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,” Gunn continued. “Hal is a big reason why the show is so popular with fans & non fans alike; sorry if you don’t like it.”
‘That’s Probably Not Going To Happen’
In another exchange, a fan said the show is made for “people who have never read Green Lantern comics.”
“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,” Gunn replied.
“Heck, even the MCU combined elements of the Ultimate universe, the 616, and original ideas. That’s how these things work,” Gunn continued. “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.”
Gunn Expected Out As The Merger Closes
Gunn says they love Hal. It’s exactly what Cosmic Book News has questioned all season: you don’t treat these characters this way if you love them.
Hal Jordan waited 15 years to get back on screen. The DCU brought him back to send him to prison for a decade, confirm his death, and dig up his corpse for the ring.
That’s not paying homage. It’s a mockery of the source material, the creators behind it, and the fans who made these characters popular in the first place.
Gunn’s Threads session also came the same day Paramount settled with California, making the $111 billion Warner Bros. merger official. The deal closes by early October.
Per Cosmic Book News‘ sources, Gunn is expected out when his contract expires next year.
Lanterns heads into its October 4 finale with no Season 2 in development, per HBO boss Casey Bloys himself.
It also took the show four episodes to crack Nielsen’s streaming Top 10. The rumors of a Lanterns movie are simply laughable.
Tom King, who co-created Lanterns and helped Gunn build the DCU, just exited his Wonder Woman comic, and per CBN’s insiders, he’s done at DC.
Gunn’s message to fans is “sorry if you don’t like it.”
In a few weeks, he answers to David Ellison, who wants DC television at Spider-Man numbers, not this.
