It's no secret that 2011's Green Lantern movie failed to impress, which is why the DC Extended Universe is taking its time to bring in the Emerald Knight's mythology. Officially, Green Lantern Corps will be released on July 24, 2020, and when the cinematic Justice League forms next year, they'll be without one of these ring-slinging heroes. Unofficially, it was reported last week that a Green Lantern will show up in Justice League for a "key sequence." No specifics were provided, but we're hoping that this sequence could be used as a backdoor origin story for Hal Jordan, the first human member of the Green Lantern Corps.
The primary conflict in Justice League will revolve around the superhero team fighting Steppenwolf, who has come to Earth with his Parademon army in search of the three Mother Boxes. While many fans have been speculating that this "key sequence" will be one of the prominent human Green Lanterns, like Hal Jordan or John Stewart, cameoing perhaps towards the end of the movie, we've speculated that a non-human Green Lantern might intercept Steppenwolf and his forces on his way to Earth at the beginning of the movie. Sadly, they would be no match for the Apokoliptan general, and they would be quickly defeated. Rather than choose an anonymous Green Lantern, the individual in question should be Abin Sur, the Corps' protector of Sector 2814, which includes Earth. His demise means that sector will need a new protector, thus paving the way for Hal Jordan's introduction.
There are two ways Justice League could handle Abin Sur's death, each involving a mid-credits scene being attached. The first remains faithful to the comics. Come up with a reason for Abin to be traveling in a ship, and although he is fatally wounded while engaging Steppenwolf, he manages to escape. Upon crashing on Earth after the main story has concluded, he sends his ring to find his replacement, and it brings him Hal Jordan. The scene ends similarly to the image below, with Abin passing on his duties to Hal i.e., what went down in the 2011 Green Lantern movie, where the alien was played by Temura Morrison. Abin dies, and when Hal puts on the ring and begins glowing, we cut to black and roll the rest of the credits.
The second option is more straightforward. Abin Sur is immediately killed by Steppenwolf, and with its owner gone, the ring departs to scan for a replacement. It finds its way to Earth and comes across Hal Jordan, and just like in the comics, it tells him he has the ability to overcome great fear and makes him the new Green Lantern of Sector 2814. Cue an exclamation from Hal about this freaky development, and cut to black, roll the credits, etc. The overall effect is still the same, but it forgoes Hal having a brief interaction with his predecessor in favor of spending a little more time with the movie's main protagonists earlier on.
While not officially confirmed, the Green Lantern Corps reports and rumors that have come out indicate that one, if not all, of the main human Green Lanterns will be experienced. If that includes Hal Jordan, this would be a great way to tell his origin again without using an entire movie again. Hal receives the emerald ring at the end of Justice League, so when Justice League 2 is released in 2019, he'll have had enough time to learn how to channel his willpower and create impressive constructs with the ring. He'll be more than ready to join the Justice League and help them battle their next adversary.
Of course, this is assuming that Hal will be the Green Lantern that joins the superhero team in the DCEU. For all we know, someone like John Stewart, Guy Gardner or Kyle Rayner will be the League representative, while Hal's introduction will be saved for Green Lantern Corps. That said, much like how Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice set the stage for Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg through that video footage (along with Barry Allen's brief cameo at the end of Bruce Wayne's Knightmare), this kind of Green Lantern appearance would prepare audiences for the Emerald Knight's full debut later on, not to mention fits the vague "key sequence" mold.
Justice League hits theaters on November 17, 2017. Let us know what you think of this Green Lantern idea in the comments below.
