Even though 2011’s Green Lantern was a critical and box office bomb, so much so that Ryan Reynolds still loves to make jokes, it looks like Warner Bros is finally ready to take another shot with the upcoming HBO Max series. Details are scant right now, but we do know the show is set to feature the likes of popular characters like Alan Scott, Guy Gardner, Kilowog, and Sinestro. With a roster of over 7200 members, the Green Lantern Corps has a deep bench of characters to use. Let’s take a look at a few popular Green Lanterns that we’d like to see take the oath on the upcoming show.
Abin Sur
Abin Sur fits into a weird place in the Green Lantern mythos insomuch as he’s a very important figure, but has spent the majority of his over sixty year history dead. That’s right, he’s never really been around to chop it up with most of our heroes in the DC Universe. He’s the dying alien that crash landed on Earth and gave his power ring to Hal Jordan, comics’ most famous Green Lantern. He’s almost always depicted as being a prominent Green Lantern before his death, and was close to other notable Lanterns like Tomar-Re.
More recently, his story has been retconned to make him close friends with Sinestro before his villainous turn, including Sinestro marrying and fathering a child (Soranik, more dramatic music!) with Abin Sur’s sister. Although Hal Jordan hasn’t been announced as part of this show, Sinestro’s inclusion means there’s a good shot we’ll see more of the former Green Lantern of Earth.
Salaak
For the Harry Potter stans out there, think of Salaak as Percy Weasley. He’s no-nonsense and by the book. He won’t hesitate to snitch on you to the Guardians of the Universe (the little blue guys who run the Green Lantern Corps). But! He’s also one of the most high profile members of the Corps. He may not win any popularity contests with other Green Lanterns, but Salaak is known to be one of the Corps' most ardent and loyal ring-slingers. The Guardians of the Universe appointed this four-armed Lantern as the “clarissi,” comic book jargon for being the second in command.
In the comics, Salaak doesn’t spend a lot of time in the field (he’s more of a behind the scenes, desk-work guy), but he’s been known to mix it up next to his fellow Corps members in some of their biggest battles, including Sinestro Corps War and the DC mega-event The Blackest Night.
Tomar-Re
Tomar-Re is probably one of the most recognizable non-Earth based Green Lanterns in the Corps. A Xudarian and one of the earliest alien Lanterns to show up in the pages of Green Lantern #6, Tomar-Re sort of looks like a bird and a fish mashed into one, with the body of a human. He’s also a very close ally to Hal Jordan, the most prominent Green Lantern, who was played by Ryan Reynolds in the 2011 dud. Tomar-Re was also the Green Lantern assigned to the planet Krypton...yeah that one. In fact, Tomar-Re was en route with a plan to save Krypton only to watch it explode in front of him.
Katma Tui
It’s yet to be determined if fan-favorite Green Lantern, John Stewart, will appear in the upcoming HBO Max show. If he does, then there’s a good chance Katma Tui could show up as well. She’s actually one of the supporting Green Lanterns who has a pretty fleshed out back story. Katma is from the planet Korugar, homeworld of Sinestro, who has been confirmed to be in the new series. As a former Lantern-turned-tyrant, Sinestro ruled Korugar with an iron fist thanks to his Green Lantern powers. Katma Tui actually led a rebellion to overthrow him, and was eventually put in as his replacement. Her people however, came to view the Green Lanterns as a symbol of oppression and shun her for taking up the mantle. She also forms a relationship with and marries John Stewart, so there are lots of things they could pull for inspiration.
Sodam Yat
Within DC Comics, a Green Lantern power ring is considered “the most powerful weapon in the universe.” What happens if you gave a power ring to Superman? That’s Sodam Yat in a nutshell. He’s a Daxamite, who are biological cousins to Kryptonians, and like their cousins have the same set of super powers when they get exposed to yellow sunlight. Sodam Yat was introduced by Watchmen creator, Alan Moore, in 1986’s Tales of The Green Lantern Corps #2. Part of a big Green Lantern prophecy, Sodam Yat is supposed to be the ultimate champion of the Guardians of the Universe, but ultimately falls along with the rest of the Corps.
He went unused until 2006 when he was re-introduced in Geoff Johns’ big franchise reboot of Green Lantern, where he’s been a prominent Lantern ever since. Currently he’s called “Ion” and is fused with the living embodiment of the Green Lantern Corps’ power. Basically, he’s one of the Corps’ heaviest hitters and definitely a strong candidate to show up on screen.
Soranik Natu
Soranik Natu is a newer character (by comic book standards), only first appearing in the 2005 reboot mini-series Green Lantern Corps: Recharge. The reason she’s such an interesting character is that she’s the daughter of Sinestro...cue dramatic music! Of course, she didn’t learn this fact until pretty deep into her story arc. Much like the rest of the inhabitants of Korugar, she grew up hating Sinestro for his tyrannical rule of their home planet. Before becoming a Green Lantern she was a gifted surgeon, a skill she’s also put to use as a Lantern.
She’s also been a major love interest to Kyle Rayner, the main Green Lantern of Earth in the '90s (also curiously absent from the new HBO Max show), but more recently that’s been put on ice. To make matters more interesting, she’s currently the leader of the Sinestro Corps. (Cue more dramatic music!)
Arisia
Arisia is another prominent alien Green Lantern, but, unfortunately, she’s fallen prey to some of the male-dominated comic book industry’s worst tendencies. Which ones? Well, after DC’s mega-crossover event, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Arisia relocates to Earth with a bunch of other alien Lanterns, and immediately develops an underage crush on Hal Jordan. Hey, teenage crushes happen. What’s the big deal? Well, not all teenagers get to use their power rings to age themselves up so they can start a relationship with their adult crushes. If that wasn’t enough, she also suffers a head injury for a time that puts her back in a 13-year old mind set. Not the greatest stories, but maybe the HBO Max series can turn the ship around.
Chaselon
I’ll be honest with you, Chaselon hasn’t gotten a lot of the spotlight in Green Lantern comics over the decades, but boy does he look cool. If you’re making a TV show that could be jam packed with VFX aliens, then you definitely want this guy on your shortlist. Besides being a Green Lantern, Chaselon also spent time as an Alpha Lantern, an elite group of Lanterns who have their hearts taken out and replaced with the Green Lantern power batteries.
G’Nort (and Ch’p)
G’Nort is easily the goofiest Green Lantern in all of DC Comics. He looks like a dog and wears a weird onesie and vest combo. He’s played almost exclusively for comic relief, but that’s exactly why you need him in this show! Let’s get a little levity in one of these prestige superhero shoes. Coming from the planet G’Newt (See what I mean about comic relief?), G’Nort is basically a nepotism hire for the Corps. The Guardians of the Universe give him an uninhabited sector of space to patrol, and, later, when he winds up on Earth he ends up in charge of Justice League Antarctica.
While we’re at it, let’s toss in Ch’p, another Green Lantern who looks like a squirrel. Ch’p isn’t played for laughs nearly as much, in fact he tried to hang himself after the Corps was destroyed in the '90s, and in the end got ran over by a truck. Don’t worry, though, there’s a new squirrel Lantern running around named B’dg who's out there saving the galaxy now.
Mogo
Another awesomely weird idea for a Green Lantern, Mogo is literally a sentient planet who is also a Green Lantern. Initially just a one-off character also created by Alan Moore, Mogo has actually been a pretty prominent character in several key moments in the DC Universe. Besides being a Lantern, Mogo also serves as a sort of North Star for the Corps. When a member dies, their ring searches the sector for a replacement. How does that work exactly? Who knows! But! We do know that Mogo is the one who helps the rings search out replacements. Without him, the rings are rudderless and left floating in space.
These are just 10 of thousands of other unique Green Lanterns in the galaxy. With that many, there will hopefully be a lot of opportunity to showcase some of them and maybe even just cameo some in the background of scenes. Keep your power rings charged and locked onto CinemaBlend as the show gets closer for all the latest news on all of our favorite emerald knights. Let us know which Green Lantern you’d like to see on this upcoming HBO Max series below.
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