The DC Universe‘s first Green Lantern scene, while not in the place you might expect, is exactly what I’d expected from the franchise’s introduction to the superhero group. Over the years, the Green Lanterns have been criminally overlooked on several levels, but perhaps most notably in the world of adapting them on-screen.

While the Green Lanterns have had several interesting animated releases, their forays into the live-action side of things have been far more limited. As such, it’s a welcome relief to see the DCU timeline bringing a change to this, especially since the first DCU Green Lantern scene defines one member of the group so well that it’s everything I’d been hoping it would be for the franchise.

The DCU’s Green Lantern Set Up Already Looked Promising

The DC Universe has painted a promising picture when it comes to several heroes and hero factions, but one of the most interesting is that of DC’s Green Lanterns. With Green Lantern Guy Gardner set to appear in Superman and Peacemaker season 2, the first Lantern to appear in the DCU certainly seems to be getting plenty of early screentime.

However, Guy isn’t the only DCU Green Lantern we’ll be meeting in the coming months. The franchise’s upcoming Lanterns show will also bring both John Stewart and Hal Jordan into the spotlight – with Gardner set to make an appearance in the series in some capacity too.

This should prove especially interesting given DC hasn’t ever done full justice to the Green Lanterns in the live-action movie world. 2011’s Green Lantern movie was infamously poorly-received, and the DCEU was only able to barely tease the group and those within it, meaning the DCU offers the first chance at properly seeing these heroes.

Naturally, given this setup, the introductions of the respective Green Lanterns will be something of a big deal. This makes it all the more notable that the Superman prequel introduces Guy Gardner before the 2025 Superman movie, and welcomes him into the fold by fully showing off some of his unique personality.

Superman’s Prequel Gives Guy Gardner An Introduction That Truly Suits The Green Lantern

In true form, the Superman prequel’s Guy Gardner introduction sees the character swooping in alongside Hawkgirl and Mr Terrific to face off against Metallo. However, because this is Guy Gardner and not one of DC’s less chaotic Green Lanterns, his introduction is anything but simple.

In this initial scene, Guy drinks from a broken stone water fountain – despite Hawkgirl’s concern at what the local birds may have left in said water – and uses his powers to create a water filter to stop Hawkgirl’s concerns. Shortly after, Guy threatens to fight Superman after not being sure who is the villain between him and Metallo.

The cherry on top of the proverbial cake that is Guy Gardner’s introduction here is that he, not long after, nicknames Superman “Phantom of the Opera“, in reference to the movie character. However, as Hawkgirl points out in the book, this doesn’t make sense, since Superman doesn’t really resemble the character – though Guy Gardner doubles down and continues to call the hero this later on.

All in all, this is an introduction that feels entirely fitting for the somewhat abrasive but heroic Guy Gardner. Moments like Guy using his powers for something as unneeded as a water filter in the middle of a fight are both hilarious and character-defining, and match up perfectly with what we’ve seen teased of him in Superman‘s story itself.

I’m So Excited To See What Guy Gardner Is Like In Superman & Later In The DCU

Guy Gardner’s Superman: Welcome To Metropolis introduction makes his upcoming Superman debut seem all the more exciting, since we get a solid look at what kind of character we can expect him to be. Since Guy is something of a more unusual kind of hero, his story promises to be a pretty fresh-feeling part of the DCU going forward.

With there being so few previous looks at the Green Lanterns in live-action movies, the concept of the DCU leaning into the faction alone is exciting. However, knowing the Green Lanterns will come into the spotlight in a major and even more dramatic way thanks to Gardner’s entertaining personality and often unconventional approach to being a superhero is even better.

The fact we already know whatever we see of Guy Gardner in Superman will be followed up on in Lanterns and Peacemaker season 2 also makes this all the more interesting. In a relatively short span of time, we’ll have gone from barely seeing any live-action Green Lanterns in the movies, to having a member be one of the most consistent reoccurring DCU characters.

With both Lanterns and Peacemaker season 2 being more adult-oriented projects, it will also be interesting to see whether this affects Guy Gardner’s DC Universe characterization in terms of potentially allowing him to let loose more in these releases. All in all, there’s a lot more to look forward to with the Green Lanterns, and the Superman prequel certainly helps set the stage.