As fans of the well-reviewed DCU superhero procedural know, Kyle Chandler’s Hal, is found dead from a gunshot wound to the head by his would-be successor John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and town sheriff and love interest Kerry Macon (Kelly Macdonald) at the conclusion of the premiere episode. That shocking twist has led to multiple theories speculating that Hal, Earth’s first and most famous Green Lantern, isn’t actually dead. It’s also, naturally, inspired plenty of abuse from fans of the hero who claim that Hal’s legacy is being done dirty by such an abrupt departure. (Lanterns viewers know that both the series’ time-jumping narrative and a holographic present day Hal ensure that the ever-outstanding Chandler is hardly absent.)
But it was one huffy Threads post that finally roused Gunn to reply. “Maybe you should try and at least respect the characters that made the comics popular,” the poster began, with an entitlement comics creators know all too well. “Killing Hal off right away after we have waited 15 years to see him on screen again was the worst thing you could have done.”
Gunn’s counterattack was swift. “Hal’s the star of TV series & he’s in all the episodes so far,” Gunn noted. “It’s more live action screen time than all the live action screen time he’s had combined throughout history. Kyle is amazing in the role. We more than respect him. We love him, despite his imperfections. Us knowing the time of his death, if that’s exactly what that is, is absolutely not the same thing as killing him off right away. Hal is a big reason why the show is so popular with fans & non fans alike; sorry if you don’t like it.”
Case closed on that one, although Gunn’s passing reference, “if that’s exactly what that is,” to the question of Hal’s death does fuel fan speculation that the GL’s abrupt exit may not be all it seems in a show with shape-shifting aliens, holographic Hals, and the comics genre’s long history of deus ex machina resurrections. Our own reviews have praised Lanterns‘ more stubbornly grounded take on the standard superhero shenanigans, but Gunn at least lets disgruntled fans speculate wildly just a little bit longer.
Lanterns season finale airs on Sunday, September 27.
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