Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner was never going to be the quietest Green Lantern in the room. In Lanterns, however, that larger-than-life personality is being dropped into an Earth-based mystery built around John Stewart and Hal Jordan, creating a very different kind of superhero story.

As the series reaches its sixth episode, “Bad Optics,” Fillion has explained how Guy’s corporate ambitions, publicity-focused superhero image and complicated history with John Stewart fit into the grounded world of Lanterns. He has also opened up about returning for James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow, offering a small but revealing glimpse at where the new DC Universe is heading next.

Guy Gardner’s role in Lanterns is very different from Hal Jordan and John Stewart

Lanterns follows John Stewart and Hal Jordan as they investigate a murder in the American heartland. Warner Bros. Discovery’s official description presents the series as a story about two intergalactic cops pulled into a dark, Earth-based mystery with cosmic connections.

That setup makes Guy Gardner an interesting addition.

Nathan Fillion’s version of Guy had already been introduced in Superman as a flamboyant member of the Justice Gang. His appearance in Lanterns therefore brings a character with a much louder personality into a series whose storytelling is considerably closer to a crime thriller.

For Fillion, though, there was never a concern that the two ideas could not exist together.

“I didn’t have any concerns. Conceptually, I got it. I just wondered how they would actually flesh that out,” Fillion told The Hollywood Reporter.

The actor compared the difference to moving between cities within the same fictional universe.

“If you’re living in the DC universe and you spend a weekend in Metropolis and then spend the following weekend in Gotham, you’d be the same person — but you’d have two very different weekends.”

That idea is especially important to the new DCU. The different projects do not necessarily have to look or feel identical simply because they share the same universe. Lanterns has been positioned as an Earth-based detective story, while Guy Gardner can still bring the more colorful and publicity-conscious side of superhero culture into that world.

DC has previously confirmed that Fillion would return as Guy Gardner for Lanterns following his appearance in Superman.

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Important Dates and Project Details

Project / Event	Date / Detail	Verified Information
Earlier Rushville storyline	2016	Hal engineered a dangerous confrontation involving Zoe the Manhunter and extraterrestrial enemies; John ultimately rejected Hal’s approach and abandoned the Green Lantern ring.
Guy Gardner selected	After John’s departure	The Guardians of the Universe selected Guy as John’s successor.
Lanterns timeline	2026	John returns to Rushville to investigate Hal Jordan’s death and needs Guy’s help retrieving Hal’s decommissioned ring.
“Bad Optics”	Season 1, Episode 6	Guy’s corporate sponsorship, Green Lantern beacon and relationship with John are explored.
Man of Tomorrow	July 9, 2027	James Gunn’s follow-up to Superman is scheduled for theatrical release, with Nathan Fillion returning as Guy Gardner.
Slither	2006	Fillion first worked with James Gunn on the film, beginning their long professional relationship.

Guy Gardner sees superhero work as a business

“Bad Optics” pushes that characterization even further by showing Guy embracing the commercial side of being a superhero.

His Green Lantern identity has become part of his public image, with promotional material for an energy drink helping establish him as a marketable celebrity rather than a reserved hero in the mold of Hal or John.

For Fillion, that is not simply a joke built around Guy’s personality. It is part of how the character thinks.

“Marketing goes hand in hand with that position. Also, he has his own goals. He wants to open a bar of his very own. For that, you need money, and for that, you need corporate sponsorship.”

Fillion sees Guy as someone who understands both the heroic and commercial sides of his position.

“He has his finger on the pulse of both what it is to be a superhero and what it is to be a businessman.”

That makes Guy stand apart from the other Green Lanterns in the series. Hal Jordan and John Stewart have primarily approached the role as a responsibility. Guy appears much more comfortable treating the Green Lantern identity as an opportunity.

When Fillion was asked about that attitude, his answer was simple.

“Yeah, he finds it to be part of the job.”

Rushville’s past still hangs over the Green Lantern story

Guy’s arrival in “Bad Optics” also cannot be separated from what happened in Rushville a decade earlier.

The fifth episode brought the 2016 storyline to a dramatic conclusion after Hal deliberately engineered a dangerous confrontation involving Zoe the Manhunter and her extraterrestrial enemies. John ultimately rejected Hal’s approach and abandoned the Green Lantern ring after taking it from him.

The Guardians of the Universe subsequently selected Guy as John’s successor.

By 2026, Rushville is still dealing with the consequences of that earlier disaster. Guy’s strategy for repairing the Green Lantern image is noticeably different from the way Hal and John handled their responsibilities.

One of his efforts involves installing a Green Lantern beacon in Rushville. The device works as a superhero calling signal and becomes important to John’s investigation.

The question is whether Guy created the beacon himself or whether Maxwell Lord and his PR operation encouraged him to do it. Fillion suggested the answer could involve both.

“He probably had damage-control people telling him, ‘Here’s what we need to do.’”

At the same time, Fillion indicated that Guy likely had his own reasons for wanting to repair the relationship between the Green Lanterns and the Rushville community.

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John Stewart needs Guy Gardner to retrieve Hal Jordan’s ring

That history becomes even more important when John returns to Rushville in 2026 to investigate Hal Jordan’s death.

John uses Guy’s beacon to arrange a meeting with the new Green Lantern. But he needs more than a conversation. John ultimately needs Guy to retrieve Hal’s decommissioned ring from the Guardians.

The request carries a direct reminder of the choice John made years earlier. John tells Guy that everything Guy now has is because John refused the opportunity.

Fillion believes that history gives John the leverage he needs.

“John needs [Hal’s decommissioned ring] from Guy Gardner, and that’s the thread he pulls on to get it.”

For Guy, helping John can also be viewed as a way to settle an old imbalance.

“He had a part to play in Guy being in the position he’s in now, so Guy doing a favor for John is him saying, ‘Fine, then. Now we’re even. I don’t owe you anything after this.’”

The exchange also makes clear that Guy and John are not complete strangers.

They know one another and have history, but they have never considered themselves close colleagues.

“They know who each other are. They have experience with each other.”

That distance matters because Guy represents a path John ultimately did not take.

Why being chosen as a Green Lantern matters to Guy

Fillion also sees something bigger in the Green Lantern mythology: the fact that the ring can choose almost anyone.

Unlike superheroes whose extraordinary abilities are tied to their origins, the Green Lantern concept allows an ordinary person to suddenly become part of something far greater.

“The wonderment of being chosen to be a Green Lantern is that it could be anybody.”

But Fillion also sees an equally interesting question on the other side of that choice.

“The flip side is, if you aren’t chosen, what does that do to somebody?”

That idea becomes especially relevant when looking at John and Guy together.

John ultimately rejected the role, while Guy became the person selected to take his place. Their relationship therefore carries the consequences of two very different responses to the same extraordinary opportunity.

Nathan Fillion and James Gunn continue their DCU partnership

Fillion’s involvement with the new DCU also continues a professional relationship with James Gunn that began long before Superman or Lanterns.

The actor first worked with Gunn on Slither in 2006, and the two have continued working together across numerous projects.

When asked whether Gunn has changed since becoming one of the central figures at DC Studios, Fillion said the person himself remains fundamentally the same.

“Yes, he’s absolutely the same guy.”

According to Fillion, what has changed is the scale surrounding Gunn.

“The only thing that has changed is the scope of his projects and the sheer number of people on his teams.”

Fillion also praised Gunn’s filmmaking ability while acknowledging the difference between their respective roles.

“But it’s apparent to me how good James is at his job and that I could not do that job.”

The actor described his long association with Gunn as a fortunate position to be in.

“So to work with someone who is really good at their job on that level, it’s really a fortunate position to be in.”

How Guy Gardner fits the grounded tone of Lanterns

The contrast between Guy and the other Green Lanterns is ultimately part of what allows him to work within Lanterns.

The series remains centered on John Stewart and Hal Jordan and has been presented by DC as an Earth-based mystery. Yet Guy does not have to abandon the characteristics that make him distinctive simply to fit into that environment.

His corporate sponsorship, publicity efforts, ambition and willingness to treat superhero work as a profession all become part of the story.

Fillion also discussed the technical elements that shape how audiences experience different DCU projects. Lighting, color grading and other filmmaking choices can dramatically affect the atmosphere without necessarily drawing attention to themselves.

“Yeah, stories are told on so many levels. When they’re doing it right, you don’t notice it; you just feel it.”

That approach allows Lanterns to remain grounded while still making room for a character who is much closer to the colorful comic-book side of the DC Universe.

Nathan Fillion also teases his return as Guy Gardner in Man of Tomorrow

Fillion’s DCU future does not end with Lanterns. He is also set to reprise Guy Gardner in James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow, the follow-up to Superman.

The film is scheduled for release on July 9, 2027. David Corenswet is returning as Superman, while Nicholas Hoult is reprising his role as Lex Luthor. Fillion is among the returning DCU cast members, with Lars Eidinger also identified among the principal cast.

While Fillion did not disclose major plot details, he described returning to the characters as an enjoyable experience.

“Boy, it felt great. It felt great going back.”

He also suggested that Man of Tomorrow will expand its focus rather than simply repeating the approach of Superman.

“In the first movie, and rightly so, we learn a lot about who Superman is.”

For the sequel, Fillion expects audiences to learn considerably more about Lex Luthor.

“In this movie, I think we’ll learn more about who Lex Luthor is, and I think it’s equally important.”

That matches the publicly established setup for the film, which identifies James Gunn as director and screenwriter and includes Corenswet, Hoult and Eidinger among the principal cast, alongside returning DCU characters such as Guy Gardner.

The Guy Gardner story is expanding across the new DCU

Guy Gardner’s position in Lanterns ultimately comes down to contrast.

John Stewart walked away from the Green Lantern role. Guy embraced it. Rushville still carries the consequences of the earlier Green Lantern disaster, while Guy is trying to rebuild the public relationship through a mixture of superhero work, publicity and corporate sponsorship.

That makes John’s request for Hal Jordan’s decommissioned ring more complicated than a straightforward mission. Guy has something John needs, and their shared history gives the exchange personal weight.

At the same time, Fillion’s comments about Man of Tomorrow show that Guy is not being treated as a character limited to one DCU project. His role continues into the 2027 film, where the story is expected to broaden its attention toward Lex Luthor after Superman established Clark Kent’s place in the new DCU.

For Fillion, however, the core of Guy Gardner remains straightforward. Guy genuinely enjoys being a Green Lantern, and he is perfectly comfortable treating that identity as both a superhero responsibility and a profession.

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Conclusion

Nathan Fillion’s explanation of Guy Gardner helps connect the very different pieces of Lanterns. The series can remain an Earth-based mystery centered on John Stewart and Hal Jordan while Guy brings a louder, more commercial and publicity-conscious version of the Green Lantern identity into the story.

His history with John, his connection to Rushville and his role in recovering Hal Jordan’s decommissioned ring all give that personality a place within the larger mystery. Meanwhile, Fillion’s continuing partnership with James Gunn carries Guy into Man of Tomorrow, where the DCU will shift more attention toward Lex Luthor following the introduction of Superman.

The result is a Guy Gardner who does not need to become another version of Hal or John to belong in the new DCU. He is simply Guy Gardner — and, as Fillion’s comments make clear, he genuinely enjoys the job.

Source Disclaimer

This article has been prepared from thorough research and synthesis of the sources provided with the verified information above. It reflects the information, statements, quotes, production details and publicly available project information contained in those sources as provided. Future DCU story details may change before release, and this article does not imply independent verification beyond the material supported by the supplied sources.

Sources

• The Hollywood Reporter — Nathan Fillion on Lanterns and Man of Tomorrow
• DC — Everything We Know About Lanterns
• DC — What’s Next for DC Studios
• Warner Bros. Discovery Pressroom — Lanterns
• Warner Bros. Discovery Pressroom — Lanterns Teaser and Series Details
• DC — Behind the Bowl Cut: Everything You Need to Know About Guy Gardner
• DC — Official Guy Gardner Character Profile
• Man of Tomorrow — Cast and Crew Information

Featured Image Credit:

• HBO / DC Studios / Warner Bros. Discovery