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James Gunn responds to criticism of Hal Jordan’s treatment in Lanterns

By Kevin Fraser

Posted 21 seconds ago

Lanterns may be earning rave reviews as it becomes one of the biggest shows on HBO Max, but some fans haven’t been very happy with its treatment of Hal Jordan, and they’ve taken those frustrations to James Gunn. The iconic DC hero isn’t quite what we expected; yes, Kyle Chander is great in the role, but Jordan is depicted as something of a washed-up figure who is ultimately stripped of his ring, spends 10 years in prison, and is seemingly killed off in the very first episode.

James Gunn Responds to Lanterns Criticism

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has responded to fan frustration on Threads.

“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,” he wrote. “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.“

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Gunn added that there’s room for all types of interpretations of these characters, but the DCU may not always take the path you expect.

“I’d say avid comics readers are well aware of the differences from universe to universe,” Gunn continued. “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.“

And, I should note that there are still two more episodes left, so anything could happen regarding Hal Jordan’s story. The season finale is currently slated to debut on October 4, so we’ll see where our hero lands. You can check out a review of the first season from our own Alex Maidy right here.

How do you feel about Hal Jordan on Lanterns?

Source: James Gunn

Tags: Aaron Pierre, DC Universe, HBO Max, James Gunn, Kyle Chandler, Lanterns

About the Author

Kevin Fraser

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Favorite Movies: Alien, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, read more Braveheart, The Bridge on the River Kwai, City of God, Cloud Atlas, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Edge, The Fifth Element, Galaxy Quest, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Godfather Parts I & II, Goodfellas, The Good the Bad and the Ugly, Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Magnificent Seven, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, The Prestige, Prisoners, Psycho, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Rear Window, The Shining, Sorcerer, The Talented Mr. Ripley, There Will be Blood, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Zodiac

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