Lanterns Exposes the Gap Between James Gunn’s Hype and Reality

James Gunn sold fans a big promise with Lanterns. What they got, based on the finished series, looks like a much smaller deal. This was Gunn’s pitch in his video presentation in January 2023 introducing the initial slate for DC Studios’ Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. When Gunn announced the DCU’s “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters” in early 2023, he described John Stewart and Hal Jordan as “space cops watching over precinct Earth.” The show would take cues from True Detective, feature other Green Lanterns, and uncover “a terrifying mystery that ties into our larger story of the DCU.” “This is the story of a couple of Green Lanterns, John Stewart and Hal Jordan. And we have a few other Lanterns peppered in there, but this is really a terrestrial-based TV show which is almost like True Detective, with a couple of Green Lanterns who are space cops watching over precinct Earth. In it, they discover a terrifying mystery that ties into our larger story of the DCU.” Here are just a few of our plans. Up, up, and away! #DCStudios #DCU @DCComics https://t.co/8XNDNLUEPq — James Gunn (@JamesGunn) January 31, 2023 That wasn’t some wild rumor cooked up by fans. It was the freaking sales pitch from the...