Hal Jordan Officially Returns From The Dead In James Gunn's DCU
Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more.
Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics."
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Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for HBO's Lanterns episode 6.Lanterns just released a massive episode that marked a major shift for the DC Universe series' timelines, and it brought back Hal Jordan from the dead with a twist. At the end of Lanterns episode 5, the Green Lantern TV show put an end to its 2016 timeline. That had been the main timeline explored by the series thus far, with Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre's John Stewart investigating an alien-related mystery with a True Detective tone — one of HBO's best TV shows ever — in a small rural town. That is now over, with the Manhunter found and killed.
That said, Zoe Macon's death was not the only major event at the end of Lanterns episode 5, as the global streaming hit DC series also saw John beat Hal in a fight and strip the veteran hero of his Green Lantern ring. However, rather than choosing to keep it for himself and become Hal's replacement in the Green Lantern Corps, which John had trained his entire life for, Pierre's character realized how he might have to give up on his morals to keep the ring, which Hal did, and he chose not to do so. That set up his replacement.
Sector 2814 · Ring Active How Well Do You Know Lanterns? “In brightest day, in blackest night...”
💍The RingPowered by will
🔦The Corps3,600 sectors
🌌OaThe Guardians
👮Earth BeatSector 2814
⚠Yellow
PerilThe fear entity
01
Lanterns is one of the tentpole TV series launching James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC Universe. On which streaming platform does it air?
✓ Correct! HBO Max — Warner Bros. Discovery’s flagship streamer and the natural home for DCU prestige TV alongside Peacemaker and The Penguin. Lanterns is positioned as the DCU’s high-end serialised drama counterpart to Gunn’s theatrical Superman relaunch, sharing canon with the films. Disney+ runs Marvel; Netflix and Apple are rival streamers.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is HBO Max. Netflix has had various superhero shows but not DCU. Disney+ is Marvel’s home. Apple TV+ doesn’t house DC. HBO Max is Warner Bros. Discovery’s streamer and the TV home of the Gunn/Safran DCU — Lanterns joins Peacemaker and upcoming DCU series there.
02
Unlike most Green Lantern adaptations, Lanterns pairs two Earth-based ring-bearers in a buddy-cop framework — a weathered veteran and a newer recruit partnered together on Sector 2814 duty. Which two Lanterns lead the show?
✓ Correct! Hal Jordan and John Stewart — two of the most beloved Earth-assigned Lanterns — are paired as the show’s central duo. Hal is the hot-shot test-pilot veteran, John the disciplined ex-Marine architect with a sharper sense of justice. The pairing draws heavily from the Geoff Johns comics era and lets the show explore two very different philosophies of what a Green Lantern should be.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Guy Gardner (played by Nathan Fillion) is a separate DCU character who appears in the 2025 Superman film. Kyle Rayner is a beloved Lantern but not part of this show. The Lanterns duo is the Hal/John pairing — a pointedly contrasting veteran and recruit on Sector 2814 duty together.
03
The role of Hal Jordan — the weathered, test-pilot-turned-space-cop original Earth Lantern — went to a veteran actor best known as Coach Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights and for leading Bloodline. Who plays Hal?
✓ Correct! Kyle Chandler — Emmy winner for Friday Night Lights, star of Bloodline, and part of the Monsterverse (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) — plays an older, weathered Hal Jordan. James Gunn wanted a seasoned, grounded presence rather than a rookie. Ryan Reynolds played Hal in 2011’s widely-mocked Green Lantern film (a different continuity); Nathan Fillion plays Guy Gardner in the 2025 Superman film.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Kyle Chandler. Ryan Reynolds’ Hal was the 2011 film (a separate, mostly-disowned continuity). Nathan Fillion plays Guy Gardner in the 2025 Superman film — not Hal. Chris Pine isn’t in the DCU. Chandler’s weathered, Friday-Night-Lights gravitas is exactly the mature Hal energy Gunn wanted for the show.
04
John Stewart — ex-Marine sniper, architect, and one of DC’s most iconic Black heroes — is played by a British actor who broke out in Barry Jenkins’ The Underground Railroad and Jeremy Saulnier’s Rebel Ridge. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Aaron Pierre — the British actor who earned raves as Caesar in The Underground Railroad (2021) and carried Netflix’s Rebel Ridge (2024) with a performance frequently compared to early Denzel Washington. Gunn called his casting “a no-brainer.” Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown and John Boyega are all great actors but not in the role.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Aaron Pierre. Winston Duke is M’Baku in the Marvel universe. Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us, American Fiction) is Marvel-adjacent too. John Boyega famously played Finn in Star Wars. Pierre’s Rebel Ridge performance — playing a disciplined ex-Marine — is essentially his audition for John Stewart, and Gunn’s team cast him off it.
05
James Gunn has repeatedly pitched Lanterns as a grounded, small-town murder-mystery thriller — where the space-cop rings are secondary to a detective case on Earth. Which acclaimed HBO series is his go-to tonal comparison?
✓ Correct! Gunn has explicitly called Lanterns his “True Detective in the DCU” — a slow-burn, atmospheric, character-driven case with superhero elements layered over a grounded murder mystery. Showrunner Chris Mundy actually did True Detective: Night Country duties, bringing that DNA directly. Watchmen (Damon Lindelof) was also cited, and Lindelof has consulting writer credits, but True Detective is the primary comp.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is True Detective. Gunn has named it as the explicit tonal blueprint — a slow-burn, character-driven murder mystery with superhero elements layered over it. Chris Mundy, the show’s runner, worked on True Detective: Night Country, bringing the DNA directly. Watchmen was a secondary comp (Damon Lindelof consults), but True Detective is the primary pitch.
06
When James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as DC Studios co-CEOs in 2022, they announced a rebooted slate of interconnected films and TV shows — with Lanterns among the launch titles. What is this first DCU phase officially called?
✓ Correct! Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters — announced in January 2023 as the Gunn/Safran DCU’s opening slate. It includes Superman (2025), The Authority, Supergirl, The Brave and the Bold, Paradise Lost, Waller, Creature Commandos, and of course Lanterns. Crisis on Infinite Earths is a comics event; Flashpoint and Dark Knights are other DC storylines, not the chapter branding.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. Crisis on Infinite Earths is a famous DC comics crossover event (and Arrowverse crossover) but not a DCU chapter label. Flashpoint was referenced in The Flash (2023) from the now-defunct DCEU. The Gunn/Safran era officially named its launch phase Gods and Monsters — Superman 2025, Lanterns, and related titles.
07
Green Lanterns serve the Guardians of the Universe, an ancient race who created the Corps’ 3,600-sector peacekeeping force and charge the Lantern rings from a central Power Battery on their home planet. What is the Guardians’ homeworld called?
✓ Correct! Oa — the small blue-skinned Guardians’ home at the centre of the universe. It houses the Central Power Battery from which all Green Lantern rings draw their energy, and serves as the Corps’ academy and operational base. Krypton is Superman’s destroyed homeworld; Themyscira is Wonder Woman’s hidden Amazon island; Apokolips is Darkseid’s hellscape.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Oa. Krypton is Superman’s homeworld. Themyscira is Paradise Island where Wonder Woman was raised. Apokolips is Darkseid’s grim world in the Fourth World mythos. Oa is specifically the Guardians of the Universe’s planet — home to the Central Power Battery that fuels every Green Lantern ring in all 3,600 sectors.
08
Every Green Lantern recites the same oath when charging their ring — a four-line rhyming incantation that’s become one of the most famous pieces of verse in comic-book history. How does it famously begin?
✓ Correct! “In brightest day, in blackest night / No evil shall escape my sight / Let those who worship evil’s might / Beware my power — Green Lantern’s light!” The oath dates back to 1940’s All-American Comics #16, was refined through the Silver Age, and is considered one of DC’s most sacred bits of verse. Every canonical adaptation includes some version of it.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is “In brightest day, in blackest night...” The full oath: “No evil shall escape my sight / Let those who worship evil’s might / Beware my power — Green Lantern’s light!” It’s been canon since 1940 and remains one of comics’ most instantly recognisable pieces of verse — recited in every major Green Lantern adaptation.
Ring Depowered · Report to Oa Your Corps Rank
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Honor Guard veteran — or still in Corps training?
This is Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, the first Green Lantern fans got to meet in the DCU Chapter One, as he debuted in 2025's Superman movie. With John out of the picture, DC fans spent a week waiting to see Fillion return as the DCU's Green Lantern, which was teased by Lanterns trailers. Now, with the release of Lanterns episode 6, the live-action DC TV show made good on that promise. Lanterns explained Guy's history with both Hal and John, while also seeing the debut of a major Green Lantern character from the comics, and bringing Hal back from the dead — more or less.
John Stewart Brings Hal Jordan Back (Kinda)
Hal Jordan was revealed to be dead at the end of Lanterns episode 1, which had a flash forward to the DCU's 2026 timeline. After most of the show was set in 2016, Lanterns episode 6 was all about 2026. Hal is really dead, with the episode revealing that it was John who broke his nose with a punch when they met at a diner in Rushville for what John thought was going to be an apology. Hal's bloody nose as he sat frozen in the Rushville football stadium was the source of many debates in fan circles, but that mystery was elucidated.
After learning about Hal's death, John reaches out to Fillion's Guy Gardner, who reluctantly agrees to steal Hal's Green Lantern ring and suit from the Guardians of the Universe so that John can dress Hal in them for his funeral. What started as a sign of respect, which made sense, given John's military background, evolved into a clever play by the DCU's second human Green Lantern. Shockingly, Pierre's John Stewart digs up Hal's grave to take his Green Lantern ring, using the trick to get more juice out of it that Hal taught him years ago. The Hal-ogram is back, and Hal can help solve his own murder.
Why Carol Ferris' DC Universe Debut Is A Big Deal
Lanterns is not the kind of superhero project that has come to be known as a cameo fest. While it does feature key characters from DC Comics, they have all been tied to Green Lantern lore so far. That is the case for the surprise DCU debut of Carol Ferris in Lanterns episode 6. After Blake Lively gave life to the character in Ryan Reynolds' 2011 Green Lantern movie, the DCU version of Carol Ferris is played by Amie Mackenzie (The Madison). Carol is Hal Jordan's main love interest in DC Comics, making her debut a big deal.
Additionally, she has grown to be a superhero in her own right, taking the mantle of Star Sapphire in the comics by owning one of the Violet Power Rings. In Lanterns episode 6, Carol is fittingly one of the three people present at Hal's funeral. The character's DCU debut included a reveal that her and Hal had a storied past together offscreen, just like the comics. Carol has some nice moments with both John Stewart and Kelly Macdonald's Sheriff Kerry, with the show not creating any rift between Carol and Kerry over Hal, which was refreshing.
Everything We Learn From Guy Gardner's Lanterns Appearance
Carol's DCU debut in Lanterns episode 6 came after another DC character appearance, and one fans had been waiting for since the start of the show. Fillion finally appeared as Guy Gardner in the show, revealing details about his relationship with both Hal Jordan and John Stewart. When it comes to the first, Guy reveals that the first time he got to meet Hal, he was in federal prison for the Rushville situation in episode 5. As such, we now know that Guy reached out to Hal after taking John's place as the veteran's replacement.
Prior to that, when they met at the diner, Chandler's Hal Jordan made it clear to John that he thought Guy was stupid, mocking him and his version of the Bat-Signal in Rushville. As a way to make amends for what one of the Green Lanterns did to the city, Guy can be reached in Rushville by anyone who needs his help, though the locals are fully against the Green Lantern signal. Guy and John meet as the latter is in jail for fighting Rushville locals over calling Guy. Gardner dropped two bombshells: Sinestro escaped space prison — dubbed Spazkaban after Harry Potter's Azkaban — and he mentions the Phantom Zone.
Everything Lanterns Reveals About The 2026 DCU Timeline
Finally, as Lanterns episode 6 is all about the 2026 DCU timeline, there is a lot the hour reveals about where the show's characters currently stand in the franchise after the events of Gunn's Superman movie. John Stewart really left his Green Lantern dream behind and works as an architect with his brother, selling advanced, underground panic rooms the size of football stadiums to protect citizens. After the events in Rushville in Lanterns episode 5, Hal Jordan was locked up in a federal prison for a whopping 10 years. Upon leaving, he was a changed man.
Hal became friends with John's mom, moved to Rushville to make amends for the destruction his action caused, and started dating Sheriff Kerry, who divorced her former husband, Billy Macon. Some time after Hal and John talk at the diner and the latter breaks the former's nose, Hal dies and John gets the call when he is back home, prompting him to drive to Rushville. The circumstances of Hal's death are still a mystery, though Lanterns episode 6 explained why his nose was broken, as John punched him, and why Hal did not have his Green Lantern ring, as the Guardians took it and forged a new one for Guy Gardner.
- Release Date
- August 16, 2026
- Network
- HBO
- Showrunner
- Chris Mundy
- Directors
- Alik Sakharov, James Hawes, Stephen Williams, Geeta Patel
- Writers
- Damon Lindelof, Chris Mundy, Tom King, Vanessa Baden Kelly, Justin Britt-Gibson, Breannah Gibson
-
Kyle Chandler
Hal Jordan
-
Aaron Pierre
John Stewart
- Franchise(s)
- DC Universe
- Creator(s)
- Tom King, Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof
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