DC Studios head James Gunn came under fire after posting on social media about the anniversary of Hal Jordan's comic book debut. The filmmaker expressed admiration for the hero and praised the casting of 60-year-old Kyle Chandler in the upcoming "Lanterns" series:
"Some heroes are strong in their power. Hal Jordan is strong in his will... and perhaps in his inability to back down from challenges. I can't wait for new audiences to meet him in 'Lanterns' (and yes, Kyle Chandler was born to wear that ring)."
However, fans reacted to this post with sharp negativity. The reason was a recent massive plot leak of the series. If rumors are to be believed, Hal Jordan is killed at the very beginning of the story — according to some reports, at the end of the first episode, according to others, in the fourth. It seems the veteran of the Green Lantern Corps will not live to see the end of the season, and his ring will pass to young recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), whose appearance has already been confirmed in the "Superman" sequel — "Man of Tomorrow".
Users in the comments accuse Gunn of hypocrisy: while the producer publicly raves about Hal's "bright future," in the show itself, the hero is allegedly sidelined to promote other characters. Some fans still hope that the death will turn out to be fake or lead to his rebirth as the villain Parallax, but many consider this move final.
Against the backdrop of the leak, the structure of "Lanterns" takes on additional meaning: the series' action will unfold in two time periods — 2016 and 2026. The main detective storyline involving Hal and John will begin in the past, while the creators are deliberately keeping the details of events happening ten years later a secret. Perhaps the modern storyline will show the consequences of Jordan's death and Stewart's transformation into an independent Green Lantern.
So far, Gunn has not commented on either the audience's claims or the plot leaks. The premiere of the "Lanterns" series will take place on August 17 on HBO Max.