Lanterns – the latest show to hail from the DCU – is currently airing as part of the 2026 TV schedule. While the show received criticism ahead of its run (and a little of that persists), reactions to the show have been mostly positive, and it has reportedly been bringing in strong numbers for HBO. Naturally, some fans have been comparing it to Ryan Reynolds’ critically panned Green Lantern film. The show’s EP recently compared the show to Reynolds’ film, and I admire his level-headed perspective.
DC fans weren’t exactly kind to Martin Campbell’s Green Lantern when it soared into theaters over 15 years ago. Many have taken issue with the film for a myriad of reasons, including its script, performances and adherence to the source material. One person you won’t find publicly bashing the movie, though, is Lanterns’ Chris Mundy. During the premiere of his new series, Mundy – who serves as showrunner – was asked by TheWrap (as shared on X) to give his take on the GL movie. From there, Mundy said:
It’s just a different take than ours, obviously. And so like, stylistically, it was so different than ours. And so they’re almost — they’re not different genres. They’re telling the same story in two different ways, which is cool. I think there’s a million ways to tell a story.
To be honest, I’m not a fan of Green Lantern myself. Even though I thought Ryan Reynolds would make for a solid Hal Jordan, upon my first viewing, I wasn’t so enthused with a number of the creative choices made. With that being said, I really like what Munday has to say. What he can appreciate is the fact that both the movie and his show are taking two distinct approaches to telling almost the same origin story. Whether someone likes the film or not, Mundy’s sentiment firmly speaks to the varied creative approaches people can have.
Lanterns Writer Reacts To People Complaining John Stewart Is Too ‘Woke’
Since Green Lantern’s release, the film has become something of a joke, and even Reynolds is more than in on it. The Canadian actor has taken more than a few swipes at the superhero flick, which also just so happens to be his son’s favorite movie. On the other side of this, there are those who have a level of affection for Martin’s take on the Lantern Corps. In fact, ahead of Lanterns’ premiere, there were some fans who sought to retcon the hate for the Reynolds-led film.
I’d still argue, however, that the 2011 film doesn’t hold a candle to Lanterns, which centers heavily on the uneasy relationship between John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler). While the show dishes out sweet DC references, it also tells a compelling story about a murder in a Nebraska town that Jordan and Stewart must investigate. Although some have complained about most of the action taking place on Earth, Mundy and co. did that in order to ground the story first before taking the narrative to the cosmos.
As the DCU show continues its run, I’m curious as to how this story – which spans multiple time periods – will pan out. I’m expecting an ending that greatly differs from that of its big-screen counterpart, and that’s OK. Chris Mundy’s sentiments should be kept in mind, as they’re a testament to the fact that one needn’t bash one production to lift up another.
Lanterns airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and, at that same time, episodes are available to stream with an HBO Max subscription. And, with that same membership, DC devotees can also stream Green Lantern.
