Green Lantern Fans Are Trying To Retcon Ryan Reynolds Hate After HBO's Lanterns Trailer Backlash

If someone told me years ago that 2026 would be the point when Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern would seemingly garner more positive social media reactions than possibly any other point in its 15 years of existence, I might have assumed that person was lacking a proper amount of oxygen. Yet, that’s precisely the kind of perspective being shared online in the past week, following the first trailer released for the upcoming DCU TV show, HBO’s Lanterns.

While I was personally intrigued by the far more adult and NSFW take on the cosmic Justice Leaguer that the promo delivered, I could easily understand that it was substantially different from what a lot of other fans were hoping to see. (Our own take on the trailer voiced concerns for the new direction.) Still, I guess I didn’t expect anything about this new project to cause audiences to suddenly look back on Martin Campbell’s 2011 with anything resembling nostalgia or respect.

Arguably the biggest complaint being shared about the new trailer is the all-around lack of the color green, or at least any bright and vibrant uses of it, particularly when it comes to the costume shown. (HBO legit trolled fans over it after negative comments started rolling in.) The example shared on X below aligns with a bunch of other comments on the matter.

Others were also quite vocal about the Lanterns trailer not winning them over, especially in light of the character's previous solo project. Here's a quick smattering of comments:

• Looks so lame, we owe Ryan Reynolds an apology James Gunn DCU about to make his green Lantern Goated - @WarstuG
• The craziest trick James Gunn’s DC pulled this week was getting comic book fans to reconsider their feelings about Ryan Reynolds’s Green Lantern. We are below the lowest bar now people. - @kerry_comcgrl77
• Seeing Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern revisionism on my timeline - @ComicChimp
• And by some wild chance, the Reynolds Lantern movie is marginally better… - @buggy_con

To be fair, some fans are still giving Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre props for what will likely be winning performances all-around. And given the fact that we still havent' seen all the various villains expected to appear, I'm sure the next trailer's release will inspire a bigger wave of positivity with more comic book details to obsess over. At least, assuming it doesn't also drop online out of nowhere due to a leaked version making the rounds.

But until that happens, some DC fans are happy to embrace the renewed appreciation for Reynolds' Green Lantern.

The fan whose post is seen below seems to believe that Ryan Reynolds will be pleased to see all of the revived positive commentary about his Green Lantern movie, as if he himself hasn't talked about learning screenwriting tactics from all the mistakes made by that movie's script. He's crapped on the superhero romp more than just about anyone, going so far as to as have "Ryan Reynolds" killed before that GL movie can be made for a Deadpool 2 joke.

I dunno that he's going to feel a whole lot of pride, per se, in seeing an uptick in backhanded love for a movie that he so regularly dunks on. But hey, it's his son's favorite movie, so maybe that's something to hold onto.

We all know first trailers can do wonders for a new project’s popularity, and if it’s true that there’s no bad publicity, then I guess HBO could be pleased with all of the talk that’s been pointed in Lanterns’ direction. The new show is set to debut its eight-episode first season in August on HBO and via HBO Max subscription.