Lantern co-creator Damon Lindelof issued a statement on Instagram after getting into a quagmire with DC Comics fans over a joke he made on a podcast last year when asked why his show wasn’t simply called Green Lantern. The author wisely said at the time: “It’s called ‘Lantern’ because we all agreed that ‘Green’ was stupid. So now it’s just ‘Lantern.'”
After the first “Lantern” trailer was released earlier this month, Lindelof’s words came back to bite him. The footage left some fans worried about the series, given that apart from a shot of one character taking off, there was nothing in “The Lantern” that gave it a cartoon feel. HBO seems to be marketing “The Lantern” less as a superhero show and more as a mystery “True Detective.” Additionally, Lindelof’s original comment that the “green” in the title was “stupid” resurfaced, as the trailer did not include the color green.
Grant Morrison, the comic book writer behind the 2018-2021 hit Green Lantern, addressed Lindelof’s comments on Substack, writing, “Despite comments from TV writer and producer Damon Lindelof, the ‘green’ in ‘Green Lantern’ is not ‘stupid.’ If you think writers are fundamentally “stupid”, why do you obsess over these kinds of stories? …What on earth is this tongue-in-cheek dismissal of superhero conventions meant to prove? … The only people who care about the Lantern TV series are Green Lantern fans. Why alienate them in the first place? It feels more like “stupid”. ”
Mr. Lindelof respects Mr. Morrison as a comic book writer, and the television producer issued a statement about fans’ growing concerns. Lindelof, whose credits also include Lost, What’s Left and Watchmen, posted a photo of himself wearing a Green Lantern shirt and wrote, “I pissed off Grant Morrison. “I have offended most of the talented English/Scottish cartoonists I grew up admiring. In the words of the Bard (Otis Redding), this is no one’s fault but mine.”
“I made a stupid joke on a comedy podcast. I’m not trying to take it out of context. The joke was stupid, but the fandom isn’t. I owe them an explanation and an honest reflection of my actual feelings,” Lindelof added of the resurfaced comments, later clarifying, “Green isn’t stupid. It’s my favorite color my whole life, and I have a survey I filled out in third grade to prove it. Green is the best.”
“It would be a betrayal to those I worked with to say anything other than that it was an absolute honor to be part of the team that embodied the incredible structure that is ‘The Lantern’…because it was,” Lindelof added. “Given how much I care about Hal, John, and the entire Corps, I was sloppy and careless with my words. Ironically, I can and will work harder to be worthy of the oath…Until then, I’ll let the show speak for itself, and I can’t wait for you to hear it.”
“The Lanterns” revolves around Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and new employee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), who investigate a murder in Nebraska. As Green Lanterns, they are intergalactic peacekeepers who wear emerald rings that give them the power to create constructs of green light of all shapes and sizes. The two must use their abilities to uncover dark mysteries and calculations that could destroy everything.
“Lanterns” is scheduled to premiere on HBO and HBO Max in August.
