Lanterns is keeping the suspense and intrigue rolling on the 2026 TV schedule, as the DC TV series finally got to the root of Hal's big mission for the Green Lantern Corps. Somewhere in this town, a Manhunter is in hiding, and just when I thought I so obviously figured out who it was, I realized others had the same thought.
John Stewart is an odd case. While we saw he had a very bizarre and odd upbringing, he also has had some scenes that show he's become a pretty well-adjusted adult. I find it bizarre, almost alien, which had me thinking: Is he the Manhunter that Hal is looking for?
I Have A Theory John Stewart Is Actually The Manhunter Hal Is Looking For, And I'm Not Alone
I felt so smart for thinking that, but now I'm realizing, as I read more responses around the internet, that I'm not alone. In fact, it seems Lanterns deliberately set that up, with Sinestro putting Hal on his trainee's trail toward the end of the episode. Should Hal trust the villain that there's something sketchy about his partner, or is this just a villain trying to pit two Green Lanterns against each other?
I'll fess up to the fact that I initially thought this was all a lead-up to a reveal that John Stewart was actually J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, but that hero is completely unrelated to the Manhunters that are enemies to the Green Lantern Corps. Plus, Aaron Pierre explicitly said he only wanted to play John Stewart, so it would be a pretty dirty misdirect to trade out the beloved character for another hero entirely. All that being said, is it possible for John Stewart to be a Green Lantern while also being a weapon for the Manhunters at the same time?
Did Lanterns Set This Up As A Red Herring?
I'm now of the mind that Lanterns deliberately puts the target on John, and that Hal will suspect he's a Manhunter. This not only keeps the series grounded on Earth as Hal is forced to further suss out his trainee, but also plays into any feelings he may have about passing the ring over to Stewart.
And yes, I said passing the ring, as TVLine points out that seems to be the new rule Lanterns establishes. John Stewart is seemingly trained from a young age to become Green Lantern and is being trained by Hal despite not having his own ring. In the flash-forward, we see neither has a ring, and Guy Gardner does in Superman, so can there only be one human with the ring at a time?
In any case, I expect Hal to grow increasingly suspicious of John, and maybe John to learn some things about himself he didn't know previously. Suffice to say, I'm glued to my HBO Max subscription on Sundays, because I'm committed to figuring out this mystery before it's explained to me on the show!
Maybe all my questions will be answered by the next episode of Lanterns, and I'll be down the rabbit hole on a whole new path. I won't be mad if so, because who doesn't love a good mystery mixed in with their superhero fun?
