10 Lanterns We Need To See In The DCU ASAP

DC fans like to debate the pros and cons of the world-building of James Gunn's DCU so far, but one thing it has definitely got right is wasting no time in exploring the Green Lantern Corps. Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner was part of the franchise's first ever movie in Superman, and just one year later, HBO Max has delivered the Lanterns TV series, centered around Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre's John Stewart. What's more, Pierre has already been confirmed to return for 2027's Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow.

The DCU is already feeding Green Lantern fans well, then, but the expansive nature of the cosmic mythology from the comics means that there is plenty where Hal, John, and Guy came from. Gunn and his team have only just scratched the surface of the legions of Lanterns out there, both from the Green Lantern Corps and beyond, and many of them are must-haves as the franchise fills out from here. Exactly where they could appear is hard to determine, as so much of the DCU's slate is still in flux, but fingers crossed that the following characters shall not escape James Gunn's sight.

10 Jessica Cruz Is About to Star in Her Own Animated Series

Jessia Cruz has really risen up over the past decade to become one of the main faces of Green Lantern lore, so at this point, any adaptation of the Corps that doesn't have her in it feels incomplete. Jessica's creation in 2013 finally gave Earth its first female Green Lantern, and the character has become a favorite of adaptations in the years since. Most recently, she appeared in My Adventures With Superman Season 3, as voiced by Moana star Auhli'i Cravalho.

Aside from her distinctive look, which includes a Lantern energy tattoo over her right eye, Jessica is known for being the most relatable of the Lanterns due to her struggles with her mental health. Many DCU characters — and most characters written by James Gunn — carry around a lot of trauma, so she would certainly fit right in. As it happens, though, Jessica probably isn't a top priority for the DCU right now, given that she is due to get a starring role in the upcoming (non-DCU) spinoff series My Adventures With Green Lantern, with Cravalho reprising her role.

9 Simon Baz Could Be Reimagined as John Stewart's Partner in the DCU

Jessica Cruz's partner in the comics is Simon Baz, with both characters introduced in the early 2010s as part of The New 52 initiative to attract new readers. With Jessica, that plan worked a treat, but Baz failed to make quite the same impact on audiences and his importance has waned somewhat in the years since. That said, the character still deserves his shot in the spotlight, and he would be a great fit for the tone of Lanterns.

As a Lebanese immigrant, Simon faced persecution and a lack of opportunities due to his ethnicity. He ultimately proved himself worthy of a Lantern Ring after he was accused of being a terrorist, thanks to his courage in the face of prejudice and racism. In many ways, Baz's story mirrors Lanterns' depiction of how hard the African-American John has had to work to become a GL, while Hal literally had the job handed to him. If the show gets a second season, Simon would be a great choice to replace Hal as John's new partner.

8 Saint Walker Embodies the Power of Hope as a Blue Lantern

Due to the grounded nature of Lanterns, there's a serious lack of extraterrestrial Corpsmen in the DCU to date, so that must change as the franchise continues and hopefully dives deeper into Lantern lore. At the top of fans' wish lists is for members of other Lantern Corps to be introduced. Lanterns has already included a Yellow Lantern in Sinestro, and it's possible the Red Lanterns are coming (more on that later), but the Blue Lanterns would be a surprising, welcome addition.

The heroic Blue Lantern Corps are powered by hope, and the most notable of their members is Saint Walker. A priest from the planet Astonia, which faced extinction because of its dying sun, Walker rose up to become an inspiring spiritual leader for his troubled people, an act that earned him his Power Ring. Seeing as Astonia faced a similar apocalyptic event to Krypton, it's easy to imagine Saint Walker becoming a friend and ally to Superman — another hero known for embodying hope — in Man of Tomorrow or beyond.

7 Ch’p Could Be the DCU’s Answer to Rocket Raccoon

When James Gunn began working on a Green Lantern project, comic book fans suspected that Ch'p couldn't be far away from a live-action debut. Gunn has a habit of introducing standout animal characters into his work, from Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy to Krypto in Superman, so bringing this cuddly Corpsman into the DCU seems inevitable. Especially after that crack Hal made about a squirrel GL he knows in Lanterns Episode 1.

Strictly speaking, Ch'p is not a squirrel but a resident of the planet H'lven who just happens to resemble the cute Earth rodent. Don't be fooled by his miniature size and adorableness, though, as Ch'p is a formidable Lantern and a long-term ally of Hal Jordan. There's probably not an immediate push to drop Ch'p into the DCU because the character did appear in 2022's DC League of Super-Pets movie, with Diego Luna voicing him, but Gunn would be foolish not to bring the little guy into the fold at some point.

6 Razer Is a Breakout Favorite From Another Green Lantern Show

Prior to Lanterns, the most notable Green Lantern TV show was the fondly remembered Green Lantern: The Animated Series, which ran for 26 episodes from 2011 to 2013. As well as faithfully adapting many characters from the comics, the show also gave back to the lore by creating Razer, who became a fast fan-favorite. A Red Lantern who earned redemption by siding with Hal Jordan and friends, Razer ultimately joined Saint Walker as one of the Blue Lanterns.

The DCU seems to be shying away from depicting the rage-filled Red Lanterns as a major threat, with comic book big bad Atrocitus reimagined as supporting character Antaan on Lanterns, so perhaps the way to get them into the franchise is through Razer. Introducing Razer into a future season of Lanterns would allow for the DCU to portray Red Lanterns as complex individuals capable of both good and bad rather than as simply the "evil Lanterns."

5 Mogo Is Confirmed to Exist in the DCU’s Canon

Lanterns Episode 2 sneaks a fan-pleasing Easter egg into the scene where John Stewart retrieves Hal's power battery. The passcode needed to access the battery's interdimensional safe is one that will cause any comic book reader's ears to prick up: "Mogo Doesn't Socialize." Although this is not elaborated on in the episode itself, fans will know that this refers to Mogo, a unique — and enormously powerful — member of the Green Lantern Corps who happens to be a sentient planet.

"Mogo Doesn't Socialize" is the name of the comic book story in which the character made his debut, as written and illustrated by Watchmen creators Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

It's hard to imagine a character as out-there as Mogo actually appearing in Lanterns, but, given what's going on in other corners of the DCU, fans can hope that his name-drop in Episode 2 means he could turn up elsewhere. After all, James Gunn previously brought Ego the Living Planet — similar to Mogo in both name and concept — to live-action in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

4 Star Sapphire Is an Integral Figure in Hal Jordan’s Life

Kyle Chandler has managed to win over fans with his crumpled yet charming performance as an older Hal Jordan, but the downside of the DCU kicking off at the end of Hal's superhero career is that various developments fans would like to see play out on screen have already happened. For example, Sinestro is already a Yellow Lantern and has been defeated. Fans hope that they get to check in with the other important person in Hal's life who became a supervillain: Carol Ferris.

On the one hand, Carol is Hal's love interest, which is how she was depicted in the 2011 Green Lantern movie, as played by Blake Lively. On the other, she is one of Hal's most notable villains. In the comics, Carol became a Star Sapphire, AKA the Violet Lanterns, who power their rings through love. Love isn't always a positive emotion, though, and being Star Sapphire corrupted Carol's complicated feelings for Hal and turned her toward villainy. It would be fascinating to meet an older Carol in Lanterns, one who is perhaps just as jaded as Chandler's Hal.

3 Kilowog Is an Essential Member of the Green Lantern Corps

Is it really a version of the Green Lanterns if there's no Kilowog? The warthog-headed alien is a stalwart member of the Green Lantern Corps and has been a firm ally to Earth's Emerald Knights for decades, most notably Hal Jordan. Although he can be a little short-tempered and, well, pig-headed, Kilowog is a true hero and one of the finest warriors to serve the Guardians of the Universe.

Kilowog is such a fixture of the lore that he's pretty much featured in every screen adaptation of the Lanterns to date, from the aforementioned Green Lantern: The Animated Series and the 2011 movie to Zack Snyder's Justice League (if only in a brief silent cameo). There's only the slimmest of chances that Lanterns is going to be bold enough to put him on-screen, but with any luck, Kilowog could have a cameo alongside Aaron Pierre's John in Man of Tomorrow.

2 Kyle Rayner Could Introduce White Lanterns Into the DCU

Forget Kyle Chandler, Kyle Rayner is the Green Lantern for a generation of DC Comics readers. Following Hal's evil heel turn in the early 1990s, Kyle took over as the new GL of Sector 2814 and immediately became a big favorite. Of course, as more and more new Lanterns have been introduced over the years since, Kyle has occasionally fallen by the wayside, but one way for him to stand out in the DCU would be to introduce him as a White Lantern.

Fans widely regard White Lanterns as the most powerful of all the Lantern Corps as they are powered by life itself and can even resurrect the dead. Likewise, Kyle is arguably the most adept wielder of the White Lantern ring due to his mastery of the other Lantern colors. Fans would love to see Nekron and the death-powered Black Lanterns explored on-screen, but the DCU probably isn't ready for them just yet. Let's instead start with Kyle Rayner's White Lantern and then the franchise can work its way up from there.

1 Alan Scott Is Earth’s First Green Lantern in the DCU

The original Golden Age Green Lantern, created before the Lantern Corps lore had been established, Alan Scott is something of a forgotten stepchild of the Lanterns, but at least the DCU has already given the character his due in some small way. Alan Scott featured as one of the superheroes depicted on the mural in the Justice Gang's headquarters in Superman. Clearly, just like in the comics, Alan Scott was the first Green Lantern of Earth in the DCU, which leaves the door open for him to make an appearance in the flesh at some point.

Jeremy Irvine was cast as Alan in the original Green Lantern TV series that HBO was developing in the early 2020s, until the project was canceled at the last minute due to corporate reshuffling. It's tough on both the actor and Alan Scott fans that his big starring role was ripped from underneath him like this, so let's hope Gunn puts that right by inviting Irvine back as Alan in the DCU's future. And roles for other Golden Age/Justice Society heroes wouldn't go amiss either.