The third episode of HBO's Lanterns, titled "OutKast," significantly diverges from established comic lore by presenting a new origin story for John Stewart, which showrunner Chris Mundy has explained was a deliberate creative choice tied to the series' exploration of the Manhunters.
Mundy revealed in an interview that the core concept of John Stewart's father potentially being a Green Lantern, only to pass on the ring, was established early in the writing process. This led to the development of a unique parental approach where John Stewart Sr. and Bernadette, his wife, sought to prepare their son for the responsibilities of a Green Lantern by rigorously attempting to eradicate his fear. This intense conditioning, Mundy suggested, mirrors the programmed nature of the Manhunters, ancient robotic guardians whose overly logical approach to justice ultimately led to their termination by the Guardians of the Universe.
"We were like, ‘Well, what's the difference between being programmed and being parented so hard?’" Mundy stated, drawing a parallel between the Manhunters' strict programming and John Stewart's upbringing. This comparison formed a foundational element in crafting the character's revised backstory.
The most striking element of this new origin, where John Jr. is forced to shoot an apple off his mother's head, was conceived very early in the show's development. According to Mundy, the idea was proposed on the very first day of the writer's room by Vanessa Baden Kelly, who would go on to write the episode. While the exact placement of the scene was initially uncertain, the concept remained a driving force throughout the writing process.
This altered origin story is also interwoven with broader thematic elements present in Lanterns, including colonialism and the concept of the "other." Mundy expressed a desire to explore these complex ideas organically within the narrative, allowing characters' actions and dialogues to convey these themes without explicit exposition.
"The things I like best are talking about a lot of that kind of stuff without being pedantic or without preaching about any of it," Mundy explained. "[Those ideas are] putting people in situations and they're talking about some things, but they're not preaching."