Lanterns: Guy Gardner Visits John Stewart In The 2026 Timeline In First Episode 3 Clip - Spoilers

Lanterns: Guy Gardner Visits John Stewart In The 2026 Timeline In First Episode 3 Clip - Spoilers

HBO Max has released a brief clip from Sunday's new episode of Lanterns, featuring the return of Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner in the show's 2026 timeline...

By MarkCassidy - Aug 27, 2026 10:08 AM EST
Filed Under: Lanterns

The first clip from this Sunday's new episode of Lanterns has been released, featuring the small-screen return of Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner.

If you haven't seen the series premiere yet, spoilers follow.

In our first visit to the show's 2026 timeline since the discovery of Hal Jordan's body in the first episode's closing moments, we see Gardner drop in on an incarcerated John Stewart. What lands Stewart behind bars remains to be seen, but it doesn't look like Gardner is there to free him.

Showrunner Chris Mundy has previously confirmed that Jordan's ring went to Gardner upon his death, which can't have sat very well with Hal's trainee.

During a recent interview with EW, Fillion was asked about Gardner making more DCU appearances than any other character, and whether he views Guy as this universe's version of an "anchor being."

“I don’t know if I’m an anchor being. I do think I am a thread being. The quilt of the DC universe is being assembled before us. We’re witnessing the pieces coming forth, and now we’re starting to see threads between those pieces tying them together. Guy Gardner is enjoying being one of those characters that is the backdrop to this universe. It affords some consistency.”

“Anytime you get to spend time with a character, it fills out their history a little bit," the Firefly alum added. "I feel very fortunate. I don’t wanna say I feel a sense of ownership because I did not invent the character, I did not write the character, I didn’t design the costume. The hairpiece is fantastic. So many other people are responsible for this character. I feel like I’m leasing the character.”

HBO in association with Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios. The pilot episode is co-written by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, who are co-creators for the series. Mundy serves as showrunner. The first two episodes are directed by James Hawes, with Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Alik Sakharov also tapped to direct. The series is executive produced by Mundy, Lindelof, James Gunn, Peter Safran, King, Ron Schmidt, and Hawes. Based on the DC comic characters from Green Lantern.

The series stars Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Laura Linney, Jason Ritter, Ulrich Thomsen, Nathan Fillion, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Jasmine Cephas Jones.

The series follows new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.

About The Author:
MarkCassidy
Member Since 11/9/2008
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.
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bobevanz
bobevanz - 8/27/2026, 10:13 AM
Here come the cry baby chuckle [frick]s
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This show has has two amazing episodes so far
TheRevelation
TheRevelation - 8/27/2026, 10:37 AM
@bobevanz - User Comment Image
SteviesRightFoo
SteviesRightFoo - 8/27/2026, 10:59 AM
@bobevanz - 'amazing' 🤣🤣🤣 increase your standards
FireGunn
FireGunn - 8/27/2026, 11:06 AM
@bobevanz - Watch more TV. This show is bottom of the barrel garbage
SenorTwats
SenorTwats - 8/27/2026, 11:07 AM
@bobevanz - the irony 🤡
SeeYouIn2036
SeeYouIn2036 - 8/27/2026, 11:44 AM
@bobevanz - I'll ask again. Are you able to articulate what you like about this show?

I literally do not understand why some people claim to find this show engaging. And I haven't actually seen anyone say why they like it other than "it's good."

Is it just the mystery boxes? Have we not grown past those? Surely we learned from Lost and Rise of Skywalker that JJ and Lindy don't actually have a plan for what's in the boxes when they present them. They just hope your imagination will run wild and leave you wanting more.
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 8/27/2026, 12:37 PM
@SeeYouIn2036 - it’s more confusing you running around demanding an explanation why people like a show
SeeYouIn2036
SeeYouIn2036 - 8/27/2026, 12:47 PM
@ShimmyShimmyYA - It's just baffles me. And there's nothing wrong with loving something that other people dislike. Some people don't like Tron: Legacy while I think it's one of the best sci-fi movies of its era. But I could go on for hours as to why I like it while acknowledging the critiques people make.

With the DCU, there seem to be some people who praise every project and shoot down any criticism as being a hater while they themselves can't seem to give any reason why they like said projects. I don't want to think that Bobby and the rest of you guys are just too prideful to admit that Gunn wasn't what you thought he'd be, so I'm giving you an oppotunity to explain why you enjoy this thing.

I'm genuinely curious.
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 8/27/2026, 1:43 PM
@SeeYouIn2036 - i liked Superman, didn’t finish creature commandos cause it didn’t interest me, haven’t seen supergirl yet, and I like lanterns so far. That’s pretty much 50/50 Were only like 4 projects in , it’s not really abut thinking what Gunn was supposed to be

I think this version of the DCU just isn’t for you currently maybe it will be idk , but it’s not a pride thing cause it’s art and likability of that art is subjective . I think the mystery of lanterns is intriguing the performances are good and it’s giving me a similar feeling to the watchmen series from a few years ago that’s one of my favorite comic projects . I also don’t like every MCU project and personally don’t know if I’m gonna stick with it past secret wars as most of the stuff post endgame hasn’t hit for me and the stuff that did they don’t seem interested in pursuing further it is what it is.

People wanted comics come to life this how comics are you like runs you dislike others you jump back in when a reboot you like begins
SeeYouIn2036
SeeYouIn2036 - 8/27/2026, 2:04 PM
@ShimmyShimmyYA - Fair enough. Creature Commandos has probably been my favorite DCU project so far, maybe because it uses characters I didn't have any preconceived notions about.

I went back to Watchmen a couple weeks ago in anticipation of Lanterns. I definitely liked it more when I first watched it in 2019, that may be because I already know now what's in the mystery boxes, and it may be in part that I became a Christian since then and my values have changed. I love Jeremy Irons' performance in that show and the bones of the story, but the execution and the ending are pretty disappointing to me. (Though seeing the squid in live action was worth the price of admission by itself.)

The acting in Lanterns is good enough, they just aren't acting like the characters I've loved since I was a kid.

And with regards to comics come to life, if I don't like the current run of Green Lantern, I can usually still see Hal in the Justice League ongoing. And right now, it looks like I'm going to have to wait another fifteen years to see Hal Jordan again. (Which sucks because I already have to wait fifteen years between Tron projects lol).
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 8/27/2026, 2:15 PM
@SeeYouIn2036 - just gotta remember these are new tellings characters not 1:1 adaptations, and it’s expected to not like it all the time.

I can see the watchmen thing cause part of it was unraveling the mystery and time scaling I haven’t watched it in a while , and I get what you mean for tron cause I love legacy , like 1 and thought ares was cool but it sucks were 99% never getting another one
SeeYouIn2036
SeeYouIn2036 - 8/27/2026, 2:28 PM
@ShimmyShimmyYA - If they do return to Tron, it'll likely be a hard reboot in ten years time, which honestly wouldn't be the worst option. The original story is more relevant today than it was in 1982.

I was not a fan of Ares. It aggravates me beyond words that even after making $1.5 billion on Top Gun Maverick, they still wouldn't let Kosinski come back to direct Tron Ascension.

Jared Leto must have some real dirt on Bob Iger lol
TheJackAss
TheJackAss - 8/27/2026, 6:22 PM
@ShimmyShimmyYA - it still sucks balls
TheJackAss
TheJackAss - 8/27/2026, 6:23 PM
@ShimmyShimmyYA - Tron 1 needs a remaster & make it look like Ares og grid
Baf
Baf - 8/28/2026, 4:39 PM
@SeeYouIn2036 - For me, Lanterns works because I can point to specific things I enjoy about it. The character dynamic. The detective-story structure. The tone. The sense of a larger universe without constant cameos. The willingness to let Green Lantern be something other than a CGI space adventure.

That's an important distinction for me.

You don't have to like it. You don't even have to understand why I like it.

I don't think I'm obligated to dislike something simply because other people have decided Gunn is overrated. I can look at what is actually on the screen and say, “Yeah. This is exactly the kind of Green Lantern story I've been waiting for.”
OgHerManM
OgHerManM - 8/27/2026, 10:15 AM
I watched this on Kimmel last night. They cut the scene off on purpose supposedly Guy got a new hair style. Looks the sqwme form that little bit you can see of him though.
Irregular
Irregular - 8/27/2026, 10:15 AM
"Showrunner Chris Mundy has previously confirmed that Jordan's ring went to Gardner upon his death, which can't have sat very well with Hal's trainee."

....so is this present time set right before Superman...or after? Did Stewart discover Hal's body months before?
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TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 8/27/2026, 10:18 AM
Cool clip even if brief…

Guy doesn’t seem as out of place as I thought he would given the tone of the show.

Also, it’s interesting that John and Guy do know each other so maybe the former had been a Lantern briefly but left for some reason since we know Guy got his ring post the 2016 timeline.

Anyway , these character mysteries and overall narrative mystery have kept me engaged with this show so far alongside the performances , writing etc!!.
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 8/27/2026, 10:24 AM
Can't wait.
MaxPaint
MaxPaint - 8/27/2026, 10:33 AM
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NGFB
NGFB - 8/27/2026, 11:04 AM
Looks awful. Not enough big green hands punching things.
FireGunn
FireGunn - 8/27/2026, 11:07 AM
This looks atrocious and the first 2 episodes were horrible.

Reboot the MCU and DCU
narrow290
narrow290 - 8/27/2026, 11:28 AM
@FireGunn - but you watched both episodes, why?
Bucky74
Bucky74 - 8/27/2026, 11:48 AM
@narrow290 - Obviously to see if he liked them or not
SeeYouIn2036
SeeYouIn2036 - 8/27/2026, 12:01 PM
@FireGunn - Speaking of Atrocious, when I watched the second episode on 2x speed online the other day, I was reminded of Lindelof's writing partner JJ Abrams' second Star Trek movie.

And I was reminded of Mr. Sunday Movies old review of that movie and his critique of the big reveal scene. Benedict Cumberbatch is in the glass cell talking to Kirk and Spock and he describes the plot of "Space Seed", and any Star Trek fan would think "Oh, I guess he's Khan since he's describing the plot of Khan's first appearance in the show." And then a couple minutes later, he's like "My name... is KHAN!" and the Star Trek fan thinks "Well yeah, obviously. You just recapped Space Seed." But someone who knows absolutely nothing about Star Trek would think "Khan? Is that significant for some reason?" But someone who has a passing awareness of Star Trek would think "Oh! Khan! Like that old movie!" So the big reveal moment is targeted towards the audience that has a limited understanding of the lore.

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And then on this week's episode of Lanterns, "Antaan" kidnaps John and is like "the Manhunters wiped out my planet and I want revenge on the Guardians". And I'm thinking "Oh, so he's Atrocitus because that's his backstory." But then we're probably going to get a moment later for the people who played Injustice 2 where Antaan says "My name... is ATROCITUS!" so the casuals can be like "Oh yeah! From that one thing!"

User Comment Image
FireGunn
FireGunn - 8/27/2026, 12:34 PM
@Bucky74 - Thanks for answering that stupid question for me. I'm not even going to bother
CAPTAINPINKEYE
CAPTAINPINKEYE - 8/27/2026, 4:52 PM
@FireGunn - but you’re gonna watch the third one too right?
narrow290
narrow290 - 8/28/2026, 1:52 PM
@Bucky74 - usually if I watch a pilot that is “horrible” I don’t waste my time with the rest of the show but dude needs fuel for his hate machine
narrow290
narrow290 - 8/28/2026, 1:55 PM
@CAPTAINPINKEYE - he absolutely will. Hating on everything is his entire personality. When was the last time he said something positive about anything?
Bucky74
Bucky74 - 8/28/2026, 2:28 PM
@narrow290 - Sometimes you want to give a series a chance to see if it gets better or not.
thereeljoefish
thereeljoefish - 8/27/2026, 12:29 PM
Ummm the HEADLINE WAS A SPOILER YOU DING DONGS.
MMFRESHSW2
MMFRESHSW2 - 8/27/2026, 5:14 PM
why does John's mom seem like she's alien

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