What role will Nathan Fillion play in DC's Lanterns? Here's what we know

Lanterns, the HBO series adapting the cosmic space cops, Green Lantern Corps, from the DC Universe will indeed feature Guy Gardner—the first Green Lantern we meet in this Summer's Superman. Guy Gardner in the HBO series will be played by the same actor who plays him in the upcoming DCU movie featuring the Man of Steel, Nathan Fillion.

This confirmation proves that Guy Gardner will indeed survive the events of Superman and even set up his 2026 HBO series to join John Stewart and Hal Jordan. If the comics are to be followed, neither Hal Jordan nor John Stewart will be happy to see Gardner in Lanterns.

Also, considering the series is described as dark and realistic it needs to be seen if Guy Gardner will be changed by his experience with Superman.

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Explaining Nathan Fillion's role in Lanterns

Based on what we see of Guy Gardner in the Superman trailer, there are two things we can ascertain. Firstly, Guy Gardner, as played by Nathan Fillion, is arrogant, egotistical, and thinks highly of himself. Even Fillion himself described Guy Gardner, of the human Green Lanterns in the comics, as a "jerk".

In an interview with TV Guide in March 2025, Fillion described Guy Gardner as:

“He’s a jerk! What’s important to know is, you don’t have to be good to be a Green Lantern; you just have to be fearless. So Guy Gardner is fearless, and he is not very good. He’s not nice, which is very freeing as an actor because you just think to yourself, what is the most selfish, self-serving thing I can do in this moment? And that’s the answer.”

Furthermore, the actor described overconfidence as Guy Gardner's superpower as the character believes he can fight Superman and come up on top against the Man of Steel. The actor said:

“I think if he [Guy Gardner] has a superpower, it might be his overconfidence, in that he thinks he could take on Superman. He can’t.”

It is unknown if Guy Gardener will remain as arrogant and overconfident in HBO's Lanterns as he is in Superman.

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What will the upcoming HBO series Lanterns be about?

The official logline of the show reads as:

"The series follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland."

If Nathan Fillion is joining the cast of HBO's Lanterns, then he will be joined by Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Hal Jordan and John Stewart respectively. Other than these three Green Lanterns, the series is also filled with a talented cast that includes actors like Kelly Macdonald, Ulrich Thomsen, Poorna Jagannathan, Garret Dillahunt, Nicole Ari Parker, Jason Ritter, and Sherman Augustus.

Additionally, Lanterns also boasts acclaimed writers working on it. Chris Mundy, the showrunner of the popular Netflix series, Ozark, will serve the same role for this DC series. Tom King, the respected comic book writer, is serving as one of its executive producers (EP). Another EP of the series is Damon Lindelof, known for his work in the award-winning, Watchmen (2019).

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We will know how Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner fits into Lanterns next year, as the series will air on HBO sometime in the first half of 2026.