The DCU Has a James Gunn Problem, and Lanterns Proves It

James Gunn’s DC Universe was sold as a fresh start for DC’s biggest heroes. Instead, it’s starting to look like a scattered franchise where legacy characters can be pushed aside, rewritten beyond recognition, or used as punch lines while Gunn chases the next mystery project. That concern matters even more after Lanterns, which brought Hal Jordan into Gunn’s new DCU. Hal is not a minor character. He is one of DC Comics’ most important heroes, a longtime Green Lantern, a Justice League mainstay, and a character with decades of history as a fearless test pilot chosen to wield a power ring. The DCU should have treated that history with care. Instead, Gunn’s approach to DC increasingly raises a basic question. Is this universe being built around the characters fans recognize, or around whatever tone Gunn finds entertaining at the moment? A Green Lantern story should not need to copy old comics page for page. But it should understand why Hal Jordan has lasted for generations. He is supposed to be bold, capable, and central to DC’s larger universe. Gunn and DC Studios co-chief Peter Safran have now spent nearly two years building their reboot. Creature Commandos debuted on HBO Max in Dece...