Lanterns Star Nathan Fillion on Making Guy Gardner Work in HBO Series

Posted in: HBO, Max, Movies, TV | Tagged: lanterns

Lanterns Star Nathan Fillion on Making Guy Gardner Work in HBO Series

Nathan Fillion discusses not having concerns about Guy Gardner fitting in on HBO's Lanterns, despite the show's darker and more serious tone.

Published Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:37:10 -0500
by Ray Flook
|
Comments

Article Summary

• Lanterns episode 6 finally brings in Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, and he fits the HBO series’ darker tone with ease.
• Fillion says he never worried about Guy Gardner working in Lanterns, focusing instead on keeping the character consistent.
• He compares Lanterns to different DC cities: the same Guy Gardner, but shaped by a very different world than Superman.
• James Gunn also pushes back on Lanterns backlash, defending Hal Jordan’s role and DCU’s freedom to remix comic canon.

If you were wondering when Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) was going to show up and what role he was going to play, last weekend's sixth episode of Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King's Aaron Pierre (John Stewart) and Kyle Chandler (Hal Jordan)-starring Lanterns had your answers.  But what was most impressive was how seamlessly Fillion's Guy Gardner fit into a show that's considerably darker and more serious than his previous appearances in projects like Superman and Peacemaker: a testament to the writers, the director, and Fillion. But did Fillion ever have concerns about fitting in?

"I didn't have any concerns; I just wondered what that would mean. Conceptually, I got it. I just wondered how they would actually flesh that out, but I left that to smarter people than me. By the time I got there, their world had, in fact, been fleshed out, and I was simply visiting," Fillion shared during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "For me, the important thing was consistency. I likened it to this: If you're living in the DC universe and you spend a weekend in Metropolis and then spend the following weekend in Gotham, you'd be the same person — but you'd have two very different weekends."

Earlier this week, DC Studios co-CEO and filmmaker James Gunn took on two complaints that have been rambling around on social media. First, the series doesn't "respect" Hal Jordan, followed by the idea that the HBO and DC Studios series isn't doing anything different than DC Comics (and Marvel Comics) has done over the years: offering different creative takes.

Gunn on Hal Jordan Being Disrespected by Apparently Being Killed Off: "Hal's the star of TV series & he's in all the episodes so far. It's more live action screen time than all the live action screen time he's had combined throughout history. Kyle is amazing in the role. We more than respect him. We love him, despite his imperfections. Us knowing the time of his death, if that's exactly what that is, is absolutely not the same thing as killing him off right away. Hal is a big reason why the show is so popular with fans & non fans alike; sorry if you don't like it."

"Lanterns" Isn't Doing Anything That Hasn't Been Done Before: "I'd say avid comics readers are well aware of the differences from universe to universe. Whether it's the DCU or Earth 0 or the Absolute Universe, they all pay homage to these iconic characters, retelling their stories in different ways. Heck, even the MCU combined elements of the Ultimate universe, the 616, and original ideas. That's how these things work. But if you want the DCU to take the exact trajectory of whatever your favorite comics continuity is, that's probably not going to happen."

Lanterns S01E06 DCU Notes: Guy Gardner/Gotham, Sinestro MIA & More

"Superman" and "The Suicide Squad" Ripple Effects: When John and Marcus are pitching their large-scale "panic rooms" for cities, John cites what went down in Metropolis as the reason a city without a superhero patrolling it needs something to make people feel safe when a "giant starfish" arrives.

Guy Gardner Busted a Big Bad in Gotham: When Hal and John meet in the diner, Hal references the "gym teacher," Guy Gardner, and how the Green Lantern signal was tied into Guy having stolen that "Guy-signal" from a certain hero in Gotham (Hal: "That bat guy in Gotham"). Hal adds that Guy sees his role as making up for what John and Hal did in Rushville.

Hal Jordan Was No Fan of Guy Gardner: During John and Guy's one-on-one while John was imprisoned, Guy mentions that he visited Hal Jordan as a sign of respect – but respect wasn't what Guy received: "Go climb a rope" was Hal's response when asked if he had any advice for Guy.

Guy Gardner Clarified the Ring Situation: During their conversation, when John tells Guy he wants Hal buried in his uniform and ring, Guy explains that Hal's ring was decommissioned and packed away, and that he got a new one. After reminding Guy that he only has the ring because John turned it down, Guy comes through – and that's the ring John has at the end of the episode.

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!