DC Confirms Everybody's Worst Fears About Hal Jordan

Published Oct 6, 2026, 7:00 AM EDT

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Warning! This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS from Lanterns season 1 finale.

The Lanterns finale officially introduces John Stewart as Earth's Green Lantern, but it also cemented the devastating truth about Hal Jordan. Lanterns has been a wild ride since the first episode left audiences with a cliffhanger where Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan is seen dead in the year 2026. Since then, the series has jumped backwards and forwards in time to unravel the mystery and bring the story up to date with the wider DCU.

Now, we finally have clarity about how Guy Gardner ends up being the Green Lantern that we saw appear in 2025s Superman, and there is a deeper understanding of Hal Jordan's challenging early life, which set him up to accept the role of becoming the Green Lantern, before falling victim to the Jordan boy's legacy through his innate nature compelling him to run towards trouble.

But as sad as Hal's life was as a child, and seeing how much more positive and hopeful he appeared as the Halogram copy from 2016, there is a much more pressing reality that DCU fans have to come to terms with when it comes to Kyle Chandler's time as Hal Jordan.

Hal Jordan Is Not Coming Back After Lanterns

With Hal's tragic fate introduced in episode 1 of Lanterns, it's true that there seemed to be very little hope for his future in the DCU, but there was a glimmer of hope that Kyle Chandler would have a larger role beyond the series that introduced him as this iconic DC Comics character. Still, with eight episodes to mull over the fact that he was murdered, it seemed like there could be a chance that Hal would miraculously reappear.

This spark of hope was even fanned in the season 1 finale when Sinestro tells John that he would be able to bring Hal Jordan back to life if he allowed him to return with him and help. Obviously, Sinestro is a liar and a traitor responsible for killing a Guardian, but the mere mention of resurrecting Hal felt like it could lead to something bigger.

All of that said, by the end of the episode, John Stewart says goodbye to the Halogram and powers up his ring, activating it as his, which was heavily implied to also erase the Halogram entirely and put an end to the character and Kyle Chandler's part in the DCU as Aaron Pierre now takes over the mantle and embraces his job as Earth's Green Lantern.

Kyle Chandler Did An Outstanding Job As The First Green Lantern In The DCU

via MovieStillsDB

With that in mind, it's worth looking back and appreciating just how much depth and life Kyle Chandler gave to the character of Hal Jordan across just eight episodes of television. Not only did we see his darker final years, in a time when he was disillusioned with the Guardian's guidance and actively rebelled against the Lantern Corps' direct orders, but we also get glimpses into his broader career and early life.

Kyle Chandler did a stunning job playing a character in very different phases of his life, from his hopeful and bright days as a newly forged superhero, to his time as a seasoned veteran, and again as a man living with the deepest regrets of his life and trying to make amends. His chemistry with Aaron Pierre evolved beautifully throughout the series, and despite the non-linear approach, it worked incredibly well.

Now, having explored the life of Hal through the decades, and witnessing his journey, it's time to say goodbye to the character for good. Of course, there is the possibility that John Stewart's extraordinary control of the Green Lantern ring may allow him to retain the Halogram, but beyond that, Kyle Chandler's time in the DCU is over, and his spectacular performance in Lanterns is all we have to hold on to.

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  Kyle Chandler

  Hal Jordan

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  Aaron Pierre

  John Stewart