Entertainment
‘Lanterns’ Trailer Just Confirmed DC’s Most Unexpected Green Lantern
The first official trailer for Lanterns is quite the surprise, as it trades the cosmic scope of the Green Lantern comics for a more gritty, down-to-earth series. Instead of battling alien criminals, Green Lanterns Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) are investigating a murder mystery. If it weren’t for Jordan brandishing his ring and using it to fly, alongside a shot of a Green Lantern costume, you could mistake this series for a new season of True Detective rather than a comic book adaptation. However, the end of the trailer features a nod to one of the most outlandish Green Lanterns from the comics.
While Stewart and Jordan are riding in a car, Stewart asks the older Lantern if he’s met any of the other members of the Green Lantern Corps. “I’m the only human there,” Jordan scoffs. “One of them’s a f***ing squirrel.” Comic fans will immediately clock this as a reference to Ch’p, a Green Lantern who’s actually a squirrel! Or rather, he’s an alien that looks like a squirrel. First appearing in Green Lantern #148 by Paul Kupperberg and Don Newton, Ch’p was recruited into the Green Lantern Corps to defend his homeworld of H’lven from invasion. He quickly became a fan favorite, and Lanterns hinting at his presence suggest the series could explore more of the cosmic elements of the Green Lantern mythos.
Ch’p Has Appeared in Other DC Movies & TV Shows
Lanterns won’t be the first time that Ch’p has been referenced in a DC project, or even shown up in one. He’s appeared in other Green Lantern movies, particularly Green Lantern: The Animated Series and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The heroic squirrel’s biggest appearance to date is in DC League of Super-Pets, where he was voiced by none other than Andor‘s Diego Luna. This version of Ch’p was radically different: instead of wearing a Green Lantern ring, he gained the power of electricity due to a freak accident involving Krypto the Superdog (Dwayne Johnson).
Ch’p hasn’t been so lucky in the comics. During the Green Lantern: Mosaic miniseries, he was hit and killed by a truck (said truck was painted yellow, which was one of the few weaknesses of a Green Lantern ring at the time). While Ch’p would survive the cataclysmic events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, he’d later learn that his wife M’nn’e thought he was dead and ended up getting remarried to his best friend, D’ll. Perhaps his most gruesome death came in Injustice: Gods Among Us, which details a world where Superman slowly slips into tyranny. Ch’p is briefly able to hold off the Man of Steel until he gets a nail through the skull, courtesy of the Sinestro Corps. Here’s to hoping Lanterns keeps the furry little guy alive.
No evil shall escape their sight.
By Referencing Ch’p, ‘Lanterns’ Might Be Preparing To Go Galactic
The Ch’p reference in Lanterns hints that the series could eventually veer into cosmic territory despite its grounded tone. Hal Jordan’s former partner turned arch nemesis Sinestro is set to appear in the series, played by Ulrich Thomsen. Given that Sinestro’s an alien with an enlarged head and pink skin, it’ll be hard to ground that in reality. Ch’p also isn’t the strangest being to wield a Green Lantern ring, as one Lantern, Mogo, is an entire planet. There’s also the matter of Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), who’s also set to appear in Lanterns. How will Gardner’s infuriatingly cocky attitude rub off on Jordan and Stewart?
Having a balance of cosmic and crime elements means that Lanterns is staying to the spirit of the Green Lantern comics, while also showcasing the unique approach that James Gunn and Peter Safran are taking with DC Studios. No character is too outlandish or off-limits, especially if it’s a talking squirrel with a ring that can create anything. If Lanterns is a success, there’s even the possibility that Ch’p could show up in a future season, and that would be TV worth watching.
Lanterns premieres on HBO Max in August.
Famous Small Screen Adaptations — The Collider TV Quiz!
These films went from 16:9 all the way down to 4:3 (proverbially). How many of these movie-to-TV titles do you know?
- Network
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HBO
- Showrunner
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Chris Mundy
- Directors
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James Hawes