The newly formed DCU is finally upon us, with co-CEO James Gunn bringing its first slate of projects to life, titled Gods and Monsters. The first movie in this burgeoning shared universe was Superman, which featured a number of other heroes. That includes Nathan Fillion‘s Guy Gardner, who is a bad boy of the Green Lantern Corps. I just realized this is the only live-action version of a GL that I’ve ever been satisfied with as a fan.
Superman is crushing at the box office, and fans like me are already hyped to see the characters return in upcoming DC movies and TV shows. We all remember that Ryan Reynolds’ infamous Green Lantern movie was a flop, and that hero has yet to get another solo flick. While Gardner is kind of an A-hole jerk in Gunn’s movie, the way his powers were used throughout its runtime both looked and felt great. So, I guess having a good live-action Lantern is indeed possible.
Guy Gardner Was The Perfect Green Lantern To Open The DCU
Part of the reason why I think Green Lantern worked so well in Superman was because it as Guy Gardner. While he’s less popular than other Lanterns like Hal Jordan or John Stewart, he does have a way bigger personality. Nathan Fillion said it was freeing to play a superhero who was also a jerk, which added both humor and drama to the movie’s 129-minute runtime.
While we’ll be introduced to other members of the Corps. in the developing Lanterns TV series, Gardner’s attitude offered a way for audiences to instantly understand who the character was. Add in Gardner’s wild hair cut (and the jokes about it), and he offered a ton to the overall story of Superman.
The CGI Was Less Mind-Numbing Than In Ryan Reynolds’ Movie.
There has been a ton of talk about the quality of visual effects in the superhero genre. I personally thought Superman looked great… even if shots of David Corenswet flying in the trailer caused some concern. In particular I loved the way that Gardner’s energy construct functioned throughout James Gunn‘s DC blockbuster.
While Ryan Reynolds‘ Green Lantern movie featured way more Lanterns and their constructs, the action ultimately felt somewhat boring and mind-numbing. Gardner was one of many heroes that used their powers in Superman during its battles, allowing for more varied action. We’ll have to see what happens when more than one member of the Corps. are in the same project.
The constructs that Green Lanterns create can sometimes feel cheesy, but that wasn’t the case for Superman. Gardner hilariously uses constructs of his middle finger to beat up bad guys, and even creates a giant bat when he and other members of the Justice Gang are fighting an alien threat in the background of a scene. His somewhat cartoony powers added to the action and the comedy of the movie, once again proving why it’s the best live-action version of the cosmic peacekeeping force.
Superman is in theaters now as part of the 2025 movie release list, and Nathan Fillion will reprise his role in both Peacemaker Season 2 and Lanterns.
