The Lanterns Trailer May Be Hiding A Major DC Universe Villain In Plain Sight

There was a lot fans had to say when the first "Lanterns" trailer dropped. Everyone online said the same thing about the Green Lantern suit, which was that it was noticeably dull despite the characters having "Green" in their name. Also, people were wondering why a Green Lantern show is seemingly set entirely on Earth with Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) barely using their powers. Rest assured, there will be plenty of time for action ahead, and you should watch Looper's breakdown video above about how a Green Lantern villain could be hiding in plain sight within the trailer.

With the lack of big set pieces, you'd be forgiven for assuming "Lanterns" is just about Hal and John trying to solve a small town murder or the like. However, there's a quick shot of actor Paul Ben-Victor. He may not seem like much in the trailer, but Deadline offers this description of his role: "Ben-Victor willl play Antaan, an extraterrestrial devoted to exposing the truth and exacting vengeance against those who wronged his people. Consumed by a deep and unrelenting hatred for the law, he is determined to deliver justice on his own terms."

While Antaan isn't exactly a well-known DC character, it's awfully similar to the name Atros, as in the Red Lantern Atrocitus. Deadline's description also fits Atrocitus' comic book mission, as someone seeking vengeance against the Green Lantern Corps, which would certainly explain why Hal is trying to figure out what he's doing on Earth. 

Atrocitus is a monstrous DC villain that we're hoping to get in this chapter of the new DC Universe. Atros hails from Sector 666 in the universe (comics aren't subtle). Most of his people were wiped out by Manhunters created by the Guardians of the Universe (those that oversee the Green Lantern Corps), who went rogue and targeted Atros' people. Atros wants to get revenge on the Guardians, and he's even on Abin Sur's ship when it crash lands on Earth. Abin Sur is the alien who winds up giving Hal Jordan his Green Lantern ring, so this would be a nifty way to tie Atrocitus into Hal's origin story within "Lanterns." 

In "Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns" from writer Geoff Johns and artist Shane Davis, Atrocitus creates a Red Lantern battery and becomes the first ever Red Lantern, fueled solely by rage. He amasses an army of other Red Lanterns to wage war against the Green Lanterns. To put it simply, Atrocitus holds a grudge against other Green Lanterns, so it's possible that in "Lanterns," he killed a Lantern, potentially Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), on Earth, which explains why Hal and John are staying close to home.

Atrocitus' inclusion on "Lanterns" could also explain this line from John in the trailer: "The Green Lanterns' oath is to protect people, and we both know I do a better job of this than you." This could be a subtle dig toward one of Hal's past failures, perhaps for allowing Atros' people to die from the rogue Manhunters. "Lanterns" could be a show about Hal atoning for past sins, and if you want to learn more about Atrocitus before the show comes out in August, watch Looper's video above.