Lanterns Clip Reveals A Huge, Potentially Controversial Change To John Stewart's Origin - Spoilers

Lanterns Clip Reveals A Huge, Potentially Controversial Change To John Stewart's Origin - Spoilers

Ahead of this Sunday's episode of Lanterns, DC Studios has confirmed concerns many fans have about the DCU's John Stewart with a clip from "OutKast" that makes a big change to the comics.

By JoshWilding - Aug 28, 2026 01:08 PM EST
Filed Under: Lanterns

In the DC Universe, it's not uncommon for multiple characters to have held a superhero's mantle. Whether it's Barry Allen and Wally West's respective stints as The Flash or the many humans who have served the Green Lantern Corps, fans have plenty of options to pick favourites from.

In the case of Green Lantern, John Stewart is frequently ranked above Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner (especially for viewers of Justice League Unlimited). Now, though, DC Studios' Lanterns looks set to make a big change to John's past.

In the comics, he serves in the U.S. Marine Corps before returning home to become an architect. Years later, John discovered that the Guardians of the Universe had been watching him since he was a child, believing he'd one day become an invaluable member of the Green Lantern Corps. 

After stepping in to fight a Manhunter, the veteran was finally given a Green Lantern ring and became a superhero. While the DCU isn't veering too wildly from that, a clip from Sunday's third episode confirms that the Guardians told John's parents that John had been chosen to become Sector 2814's next Green Lantern as a baby.

That's why his parents have brought him up in such a strange way—shooting an apple off the top of his head to prove he has no fear in the premiere, for example—and, in the DCU, makes John something of a "chosen one." 

This raises some big questions, including why John was being trained specifically to wield Hal's ring, only for Guy to receive a ring before he did. Hal training him now makes more sense, and while there is a connection to the source material (the Guardians keeping an eye on John since his childhood), the fact that he was chosen as a baby to become Green Lantern goes against a lot of what we know about how the rings work.

It also turns Hal into something of a "filler" while the Guardians were waiting for John to grow up and become the Green Lantern they wanted. 

Lanterns follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.

Alongside Kyle Chander and Aaron Pierre, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Nicole Ari Parker, Jason Ritter, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Jasmine Cephas Jones round out the cast.

The first two episodes of Lanterns are now streaming on HBO Max.

About The Author:
JoshWilding
Member Since 3/13/2009
A lifelong comic book fan who grew up on Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the '90s, Josh Wilding has been contributing to ComicBookMovie.com since 2009.

While he's also written for websites like Batman-News, HeyUGuys, and WhatCulture, Josh is CBM's Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and the site's #1 contributor with nearly two decades of experience covering film and TV news (including interviews with Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Gary Oldman, Halle Berry, Jon Bernthal, Tom Welling, and hundreds more).

Based in the UK with his wife, Josh is also an avid WWE and Formula 1 fan and writes about those passions on CBM's sister sites, TheRingReport.com and FullThrottleHQ.com. Favourite superhero? Spider-Man. Favourite pro wrestler? CM Punk. Favourite F1 driver? Max Verstappen.
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Lisa89
Lisa89 - 8/28/2026, 1:43 PM
“Potentially Not Controversial” would’ve really hit the spot in this dumb headline.
Hobmoblin
Hobmoblin - 8/28/2026, 6:59 PM
@Lisa89 - if it was Marvel Josh wouldve spent a paragraph coping with the choice
MaxPaint
MaxPaint - 8/28/2026, 1:49 PM
"It also turns Hal into something of a "filler" while the Guardians were waiting for John to grow up and become the Green Lantern they wanted."

Enough of this shitty universe.

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WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 8/28/2026, 1:50 PM
"Controversial Change To John Stewart's Origin." As someone who's read them.
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I wonder how long before that firegunn guy comments. In

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SenorTwats
SenorTwats - 8/28/2026, 1:55 PM
@WEAPONXOXOXO -

@FireGunn

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I got this!

#RebootTheLGBTQ
FireGunn
FireGunn - 8/28/2026, 5:14 PM
@WEAPONXOXOXO - Reboot the MCU and DCU
TheShape9859
TheShape9859 - 8/28/2026, 1:52 PM
How would they know that a friggin baby would grow up to be fearless?? That's kinda dumb, but oh well. I hate that they seem to be treating Hal as second fiddle to John. Hal is the best Green Lantern period
InfinitePunches
InfinitePunches - 8/28/2026, 1:57 PM
Hopefully the reboot will have them like and respect each other as comrades.
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And maybe Hal will be in the Justice League.
Lucasberg
Lucasberg - 8/28/2026, 1:57 PM
"In the case of Green Lantern, John Stewart is frequently ranked above Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner (especially for viewers of Justice League Unlimited)."

This the second time I've heard this B.S. claim and its just pathetic for Josh to regurgitate this which is in total denial of 6 decades of Dc comics publications of their Green Lantern stories lol.

John Stewart is a solid second place.
Lucasberg
Lucasberg - 8/28/2026, 1:59 PM
@Lucasberg - And anyways, its not supposed to be right out the gate a low key hostility between Stewart and Jordan and competetion. Uggh
soberchimera
soberchimera - 8/28/2026, 2:26 PM
@Lucasberg - I would actually argue Kyle is the second most popular, especially before Johns brought Hal back as the main GL.
Odekahn
Odekahn - 8/28/2026, 2:39 PM
@Lucasberg - facts
Lucasberg
Lucasberg - 8/28/2026, 3:54 PM
@soberchimera - Maybe, but Stewart's been around for a couple decades longer and has enough fandom that its not offensive to see him as number 2. Its utterly obscene pretending Hal is second fiddle GL. No the frick he is not.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 8/28/2026, 4:00 PM
@Lucasberg - John just has JL cartoon fanbase, Hal and Kyle both reinvigorated the franchise. Hal in late 50s-60s, Kyle in the 90s-early 2000s.
Lucasberg
Lucasberg - 8/28/2026, 4:03 PM
@soberchimera - yes no denial here.
SeeYouIn2036
SeeYouIn2036 - 8/28/2026, 2:05 PM
“There were all these reasons not to do it, but the story kept pushing us to do it anyway."

Killing Hal Jordan was promised to Lindelof and King 4,000 years ago.
Sominan
Sominan - 8/28/2026, 2:08 PM
Sounds like they're doing the overdone predestined messiah story trope with John Stewart now.
InfinitePunches
InfinitePunches - 8/28/2026, 2:21 PM
@Sominan - Odd that Gunn would strip away the Messianic allegory from Superman and add one to John Stewart.
Sominan
Sominan - 8/29/2026, 5:14 AM
@InfinitePunches - Firstly, Superman was never a space Jesus messianic allegory in the comics, it was high time that stuff got jettisoned live action.

Secondly, Gunn did not create this series, Lindelof did.
InfinitePunches
InfinitePunches - 8/29/2026, 3:47 PM
@Sominan - "Heavenly Father sends Son to lead the world into a better tomorrow." Yes, he was. Always. Superman was created by two Jewish men looking for a Messiah. Some of Siegel and Shuster's oldest comics borrow language from the Messianic prophesies in the Old Testament book of Isaiah.

Corenswet should have corrected Gunn on this, being a Jew himself.
Sominan
Sominan - 8/29/2026, 8:49 PM
@InfinitePunches - Totally false. Superman was always sent away for his own safety, never to be another world's savior. That is a retcon brought about in the mid 2000s. Siegel's Superman always had the character sent to earth for his own safety, not sent away with the purpose of becoming a predestined messianic savior a la Snyderman. In Siegel's stories, Superman has no idea he is even an alien, and doesn't find out he is from Krypton until over a decade after his creation, long into his Superman career, well into adulthood, and when he does, it means nothing to him beyond being the explanation for his powers, which makes sense.

The goodness, heroicness, and morality of Superman, along with the costume, S shield, and mild mannered reporter disguise all come from being Clark, while only the powers come from Krypton. Jor El and Lara's thoughts and opinions about earth and what Kal El may grow to do one day are irrelevant, their only purpose in the story is to send him to earth and be the explanation for the powers, and Gunn got that perfectly right.

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Siegel was not a zionist, not did he or Joe Shuster know hebrew. Siegel's wife is a Hungarian woman named Joan Kovacs, whom he based Lois Lane off of.

Siegel did not copy the Old Testament for Superman, but instead copied the writings of Philip Wylie with Gladiator, then, upon feedback from writer Otto Binder, made Superman be a baby from another future earth-like planet instead of coming from future earth. He was still SuperMAN, not SuperALIEN.

Siegel was then screwed over by jewish gangsters Harry Donnenfeld and Jack Lebowitz, who took over DC Comics and made millions off of Siegel's character while keeping him poor in comparison while they also sued every other publisher that attempted to create a superhero, such as Wonder Man, Master Man, and Captain Marvel.

This is what Siegel wrote to Lebowitz and Donnenfeld about their treatment of him in the 1950s:

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This is what Donnenfeld & Lebowitz, the two jews, wrote back:

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Lebowitz thought Superman was such of a dumb idea at first that he didn't even want the character published on the cover of future issues of Action Comics after number one. Until the sales came in, then, he appeared on every issue from the 7th or 9th since.

As for Corenswet, he is only a quarter jewish or half jewish, is secular, not religious, and is regarded as a gentile by the orthodox jews and jewish elite. Regardless, he also understands the character far better than you, Goyer, and Snyder ever did.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 8/29/2026, 10:25 PM
@InfinitePunches - really dumb change. The birds thing is also stupid AF lol
J0RELLC00LJ
J0RELLC00LJ - 8/31/2026, 1:53 PM
@Sominan - Great point, I was always under the impression that Kal-El's story was more akin to Moses, than Jesus.
Sominan
Sominan - 8/31/2026, 4:36 PM
@J0RELLC00LJ - I don't even think Moses fits either, since Moses was nursed by his biological mom and is predestined to liberate his biological people, whereas Superman's biological people are all dead and rather than inheriting a savior identity through his biological heritage predestined to save his race, Clark instead chooses to use his powers to create a costumed vigilante persona to help others.
Ottsel
Ottsel - 8/28/2026, 2:12 PM
"In the case of Green Lantern, John Stewart is frequently ranked above Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner (especially for viewers of Justice League Unlimited). Now, though, DC Studios' Lanterns looks set to make a big change to John's past."

Wilding successfully ragebaited me into commenting. I love John, but to quote this shitty version of Hal we get in the show.

"come 'on"
NinnesMBC
NinnesMBC - 8/28/2026, 2:26 PM
The Guardians and his own parents groomed him since he was a kid to be ready to become Green Lantern and to the point that he wasn't even allowed to sleep in the same room with his brothers and didn't even go to school with them. It's all there in the clip from his dad's dialogue.

It just got more awkward. And seriously out of all the methods to prepare him to be fearless was using him as a human target the best responsible way to do it?

Sorry but John's dad is one daft dumbass if that was his best way to prepare him. What if he sneezed one day and the bullet missed the apple? Should've used blanks at least. How did no one in the neighborhood noticed this and called in child services is laughably beyond logic.

And yes there are some lore contradictions here if the Guardians can just pick up whoever they want from when they're just toddlers to grow up to become GLs because it's supposed to be the rings who choose them.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 8/28/2026, 3:06 PM
@NinnesMBC - to be fair

In the comics , The Guardians chose him personally too while Hal was against it initially.

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I do get what you mean about the bullets (maybe not tell John that the bullets are blank so he can still have a natural fearless response) though given their backyard which seemed to be forrested or closed off if I’m not mistaken , no neighbor seeing what’s going on makes sense even if they would have heard gunshots etc.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 8/29/2026, 10:29 PM
@NinnesMBC - the writing and character choices in this show often border on parody.
NinnesMBC
NinnesMBC - 8/30/2026, 12:24 AM
@TheVisionary25 - Fair enough, Guardians are then full of double standarts and can intervine whenever they want with their full biases out regardless of what the rules of the Power Rings say. Guess I'm starting to get why Sinestro and others don't like them.

I'll add to your post that it's also highly obvious his parents must've restricted the amount of visits and friends John had growing up because nothing could distract him from becoming a Green Lantern. So no one, adult or kid, would see that. And thus my point remains, John's dad is a freaking weirdo for using that as training.
NinnesMBC
NinnesMBC - 8/30/2026, 12:27 AM
@McMurdo - I feel that way with the matriarch of the Macon family who randomly hooks up with whoever she wants to have a "break" from her husband who she shamelessly admits to use just to have a status within Rushville to the way John's father behaves. The upcoming epsiode will either make me reconsider or it will cement what I think.

Hal is ok so far, but this new iteration deserved one in his prime not one on the verge of delivering his swan song.
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 8/28/2026, 2:35 PM

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HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 8/28/2026, 2:37 PM
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WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 8/28/2026, 2:47 PM
@HashTagSwagg - OK

First: That's funny
Second: That guy should see a doctor. I don't think his leg is bending right. 😂
Odekahn
Odekahn - 8/28/2026, 2:41 PM
Wilding is out of his [frick]ing mind as normal. Clown.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 8/28/2026, 2:57 PM
Feels like an unnecessary change, but at least it would explain the gun test his dad gave him and why his old man was so quick to believe Hal was only trying to test his son when Hal jumped out of the car.
dragon316
dragon316 - 8/28/2026, 3:09 PM
Not that it matters Wanda quick silver vision ultron origins changes yet still fans no problem with it
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 8/28/2026, 3:23 PM
@dragon316 - "fans no problem with it"

not that it matter....butt.....either u r a new pup around here or u r just straight trying to rewrite history.

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cause eye remember, son eye was there.

fans did have their problems with Wanda, quick silver, ultron origins changes.

People did not like the fact That the twins were no longer mutants due to disney marvel not owning the rights to the x-men at the time,

and that they were stealing the story of Hank Pym's involvement with creating Ultron and giving it to Tony.








Lucasberg
Lucasberg - 8/28/2026, 4:02 PM
@harryba11zack - eye member that again too. it was ass u said
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 8/28/2026, 4:03 PM
@Lucasberg -
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grendelthing
grendelthing - 8/28/2026, 4:15 PM
@harryba11zack - Bruh, you know anybody here can look at bios and see how long folks have been around. Dragon was around a full 10 years before you joined which was well after Wandavison came out. Unless you're telling us you got banned and this is a newer account. Hmmmm....
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