The DC Universe theory spells bad news for Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern future

One of many possible futures Members of the Justice League at the trailer for James Gunn’s “Superman.” He is Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), the first of many Green Lanterns set to roam the DC Universe. The man with the power ring and bowl pieces is also expected to appear in the DCU’s 2026 “Lanterns” series, which will focus on fellow Gardner Green Lanterns Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). Overall, life is good for Fillion fans who are eager to see the “Firefly” and “The Rookie” star ply his trade. DC’s angriest superhero, starting with his role in Superman. Or is it?

Some DC fans suspect that the DCU incarnation of Gardner won’t last long in this world. Indeed, Reddit u/LastCryptographer173 He suspects the abrasive Green Lantern will be the focus of “Lanterns” as a high-profile murder victim, writing:

“I’m still convinced that the mystery Hal and John are going to investigate is Jay’s murder.”

The biggest clues about the “Lanterns” come from James Gunn himself. While appearing on Josh Horowitz “Happy, sad, confused” podcast, Gunn had this to say about the series:

“It’s tied to Earth. It’s not in outer space. We don’t have a thousand Green Lanterns or any of that stuff. It’s a grounded story that’s told through another lens in a real way — it’s an HBO series, and it’s going to be an HBO series, and I’m happy about that and I love the scripts.” .

The scripts in question come from people like Damon Lindelof (“Watchmen,” “Lost,” “The Leftovers”) and Chris Mundy (“Criminal Minds,” “Ozark”), and since DC Studios He compared “lanterns” to “True Detective.” It definitely looks like the show will involve a huge crime for Jordan and Stewart to solve. Since Guy Gardner is a major Green Lantern in the comics, but what role he might play in the “Lanterns” is being kept secret, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to assume that he might be connected to said crime. Redditor u/jjeisy He’s thought about this as well, and suggested that Fillion’s age means he’s unlikely to remain a major part of the DCU for very long. As such, their theory goes as follows:

“Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) was murdered by an unknown assailant. *Inference – I don’t think Nathan Fillion is doing a multi-movie deal. Also, he’s 53 and will be 55 by the time ‘Lanterns’ comes out, I’m not sure If he wants to cut through this bowl before his ring is taken, he flies out and finds John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) attracting the attention of Super Cop Green Lantern, Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) to train John Stewart while… Lead the case.

There’s precedent for Nathan Fillion’s character dying in a Gunn-adjacent project, as it happened. In “The Suicide Squad” (2021), the actor plays TDK, a team member with detachable arms who dies very early in the film. Could Guy Gardner succumb under the weight of this history, thus providing the central mystery of “The Lanterns?” It remains to be seen, but the idea is interesting.

Even if this fan theory turns out to be true and Gardner doesn’t survive the “Lanterns” series, Fillion fans have no reason to be sad. After all, no matter what happens to Guy Gardner in the long run, the actor can already boast that he’s more or less cornered the Green Lantern market. This is because Fillion already has another role in Green Lantern aside from Guy Gardner in “Superman.” Under his belt. In 2011, he did what Ryan Reynolds couldn’t by giving fans a critically acclaimed version of Hal Jordan. Granted, Fillion’s Jordan film is an animated film, but his film Green Lantern: Emerald Knights nonetheless received much better reviews than Reynolds’ live-action Green Lantern film from the same year. Fillion went on to reprise the voice role in the 2012 film “Justice League: Doom.”

“Superman” opens in theaters on July 11, 2025.