Before DC Studios announced its plans for a Lanterns TV series, Warner Bros. was developing Emerald Knights with Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and writer and showrunner Seth Grahame-Smith.
The creative team also included Geoff Johns, Sarah Schechter, David Madden, David Katzenberg, Elizabeth Hunter, and Sara Saedi, with Lee Toland Krieger (Superman & Lois) set to direct the first two episodes. The cast had started taking shape, with Jeremy Irvine as Alan Scott and Finn Wittrock set to play Guy Gardner.
Hal Jordan wasn't expected to appear in Emerald Knights because of plans for him and John Stewart in a Green Lantern movie. However, there were plans for Bree Jarta, Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, Sinestro, and Kilowog to appear in significant supporting roles.
Since Lanterns' launch, concept art from the aborted TV series has started doing the rounds on social media. Today, we have a closer look at the comic book-inspired costumes for Emerald Knights' leads, along with an epic shot of Green Lantern battling a Manhunter.
Lanterns portrayed the Manhunters as humanoid, shape-shifting aliens. However, this show was set to head down a route far more in line with the comics, portraying them as formidable robots. We also see Sinestro's homeworld and a terrifying alien seeming inspired by the Spider Guild.
There's no way of knowing how Emerald Knights would have compared to Lanterns, but Guggenheim has previously teased plans for what sounded like a meaningful approach to the first Green Lantern, Alan Scott:
"One moment in the show I was very proud of was something I came up with for the season finale that I co-wrote with Geoff Johns. The series had established the concept of a 'Prime Construct' — basically, the first thing a Green Lantern makes with their power ring; typically, it's from the worst moment of their life."
"At the end of the season, the big bad corners an elderly Alan Scott, who became Earth's first wielder of a power ring after finding one in the aftermath of a horrific train crash. Because Alan had never gone through training on Oa, he'd never manifested a Prime Construct. And when he finally does, it's... A TRAIN.
And the big bad essentially laughs in his face, taunting him: "The worst moment in your life is when you got the powers of a God? You pathetic, f***ing idiot…" (That wasn't the actual dialogue, but you get the idea.) It isn't until the end of the episode that we flashback to the moment when Alan's boyfriend leaves Los Angeles and Alan forever. On a train."
Check out this newly revealed Emerald Knight concept art in the Instagram posts below.