Damon Lindelof, co-creator of the series “Lanterns,” explained why the creators decided to portray Hal Jordan as a more experienced hero. Initially, the team considered a version of the character close in age to Ryan Reynolds' portrayal in the 2011 film “Green Lantern,” but the concept changed after the main idea for the series emerged.
The creators decided to build the story as a mix of Antoine Fuqua's “Training Day” and a police buddy-movie, where an experienced Hal Jordan becomes a mentor to rookie John Stewart:
"When Tom [King]'s idea made it clear that this would be partly 'Training Day,' partly a buddy story and a passing of the torch, we thought: what if Hal doesn't want to pass the baton, but keeps running anyway? This is where the story of the old guard who doesn't want to give up their place comes in."
Lindelof also hinted at the possible appearance of Yellow Lanterns in the series. According to him, the confrontation between green and yellow colors plays an important role in the franchise's mythology:
"Green and yellow are like black and white for the world of Lanterns, two opposing forces. Anything can happen, and it would be irresponsible of us not to at least consider adding 'yellow magic,' but I can't give any guarantees."
One of the characters in “Lanterns” will be Sinestro, played by Ulrich Thomsen. In the comics, Hal Jordan's former mentor founded his own Sinestro Corps and used yellow rings powered by the force of fear. The creators have not yet confirmed whether the character will follow this path in the series, but Lindelof's words clearly indicate the team's interest in this storyline.
“Lanterns” premieres on August 16 on HBO and HBO Max. The first season will consist of eight episodes.