HBO's Lanterns Confirms A Major Change Ahead Of Nathan Fillion's 2027 Movie Return

Published Oct 14, 2026, 11:30 AM EDT

Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release.

He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years.

Nathan Fillion is one of television's biggest stars thanks to Firefly, Castle, and The Rookie, and HBO's detective series Lanterns joined the list with its release earlier this year. The eight-episode DC event series focused on John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) investigating an alien plot in rural Nebraska, with Fillion's Guy Gardner eventually joining the series for the final few episodes.

Fillion's role in Lanterns proved to be rather small, but that did not stop the show from evolving his intergalactic space cop character in different ways. Beyond giving the actor another chance to portray Guy in a more mature setting after Peacemaker season 2, the show confirmed that Guy takes his Lantern vows seriously, following orders better than Hal. It also highlighted the efforts he's made to keep Earth safe before and after Superman.

The other significant development for Guy came in Lanterns episode 8's ending. John summoned him to Rushville to explain that he's putting himself in charge of protecting Earth, relieving Guy of this duty. Fillion's character is meant to communicate that change to the Guardians and continue protecting the rest of Sector 2814, while John replaces him.

With Fillion set to return as Guy in 2027's Man of Tomorrow, the blockbuster movie sequel will be the first chance for the DC Universe to explore how he handles his new Green Lantern jurisdiction. It might seem like a small change, one meant to elevate John's place among Earth's heroes, but there are bigger implications of what it means for Guy and Man of Tomorrow.

How Lanterns' Guy Gardner Change Impacts His Man Of Tomorrow Role

Before Lanterns' finale, it was expected that John and Guy would share duties in protecting Earth in Man of Tomorrow​​​​​​ and beyond. The comics have often had multiple people acting as Earth's Green Lantern at the same time, so it would not be unusual for Pierre and Fillion's characters to do the same, especially given the latter's involvement with the DCU's Justice Gang.

Now, Lanterns has set up a more cosmic-based story for Guy, at least at first. If he stays true to his word and out of John's way, there is no reason he should be on Earth when Man of Tomorrow begins. That would leave the Justice Gang to operate without one of its most powerful members. It could easily result in a reduced role for Fillion's character, but his new status also connects well to what is coming.

Man of Tomorrow is expected to have a cosmic element through Brainiac's introduction, as the brilliant villain should travel through space to reach Earth. Depending on how James Gunn handles the villain's story, Guy could be one of the first people to learn of Brainiac's existence and the threat he poses.

For all we know, Guy will only come back to Earth to warn John, Superman, and others about the danger Earth faces. That is, so long as Brainiac doesn't kill the Green Lantern before a warning can be issued.

Guy Gardner's New Status Quo Makes Nathan Fillion More Important To The DCU's Future

John may be the Green Lantern that the DCU revolves around going forward, but Guy's role in Man of Tomorrow and the DCU at large is more important than before after Lanterns' change. With John wanting to stay more Earth-based (paving the way for his Man of Tomorrow role and a potential Lanterns season 2), it is now Guy who becomes the face of Green Lantern's cosmic side.

Lanterns' lack of an intergalactic story was one of the big gripes against the series, but Guy's story is set up to fix that. He'll be able to facilitate looks at what the Green Lantern Corps is up to on a larger scale. That could come in Man of Tomorrow, but it is something that should continue to be part of his story afterward. He could ultimately be responsible for ushering in more of the cosmic aspects and characters in the DCU.

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  Kyle Chandler

  Hal Jordan

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  Aaron Pierre

  John Stewart