The Green Lantern TV Series Trailer Might Spell Doom For Guy Gardner

The first "Lanterns" trailer reveals a decidedly different Green Lantern tale compared to the "Green Lantern" movie starring Ryan Reynolds, which bombed at the box office and made the character something of a joke. This one's grittier, darker, and ... missing a key Green Lantern member, by the looks of it. Check out Looper's video above for all the possible explanations as to why Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) from last year's "Superman" is absent.

At the end of the trailer, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) asks Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) if he talks with any of the other Lanterns, and Hal responds, "I'm the only human. They're aliens. One of 'em is a f***ing squirrel." But the reference to Ch'p wasn't what got fans online interested in the line. It's that Hal seemingly forgot about Guy, despite him being part of the Justice Gang and helping to overthrow a nation's leader. Of course, such an action would make Guy a lot of enemies, so perhaps "Lanterns" involves Hal and John investigating Guy's death.

Admittedly, it would be a bit anticlimactic for a character as fun as Guy to get introduced in "Superman" (and cameo in the second season of "Peacemaker") only to be quickly killed off. But it would make sense. Something major would have needed to have happened to get both Hal and John interested in whatever the case is. Another Green Lantern's death would fit the bill, especially if he seemingly died from non-cosmic forces. It's been confirmed Fillion will appear in "Lanterns" in some capacity, so Guy will show up. But will it be a flashback before his untimely death, or could he still be alive to swoop in and save the day?

"Lanterns" sees Hal as the grizzled Green Lantern while John is more fresh, seemingly being the second human Lantern from Earth. Or, at least, another Lantern, until we know what Guy's status is. A more humorous explanation, besides Guy's death, is that Hal doesn't like him that much and doesn't professionally recognize him as a Green Lantern. There's precedent for this, as "Young Justice" has a scene where Flash suggests bringing Gardner onto the Justice League, and both Hal and John immediately reply, "No." 

Then again, it's possible "Lanterns" takes place before the events of "Superman," and perhaps before Guy even got his ring. Showrunner Chris Mundy has stated that "Lanterns" takes place across different time periods. But does that mean all of the show takes place before "Superman," or will certain scenes occur years ago and then we'll jump back to the present? Hal's final line in the "Lanterns" trailer sees him in a car at night, so it's hard to pick up on what time period that could be in. 

If there's anything to take away from the "Lanterns" trailer, it's that it's purposefully obtuse. We don't get much in the way of seeing the Green Lanterns in action, aside from a quick shot of Hal flying. Honestly, that's preferable compared to having a trailer that spoils everything, so it's best to wait and see how Guy Gardner will factor in.

In the meantime, check out Looper's video above for more evidence that "Lanterns" is a period piece, and that there may be hard times in store for Guy Gardner. Looper called it a while ago that "Lanterns" would blow us all away in 2026, and it looks like it's going to do just that.