HBO's live-action series Lanterns has introduced a significant departure from established Green Lantern lore, fundamentally altering how the powers of the Green Lantern ring function, particularly in the hands of John Stewart.
In episode 7, the series strongly implies that John Stewart, portrayed by Aaron Pierre, is capable of feats previously thought impossible within the Green Lantern canon. This reinterpretation began earlier in the season when John unconsciously manifested a living bird construct with a Green Lantern ring. This construct not only maintained its form after John relinquished the ring but also acted autonomously, even defending him during an abduction. At the time, Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) expressed astonishment, noting the feat was "practically impossible."
The latest developments further solidify this shift. After taking the ring from Hal Jordan's corpse, John uses its energy to activate the Hal-ogram, a digital backup of Hal's consciousness. While the Hal-ogram has appeared before, its behavior in episode 7 is drastically different, suggesting John's unique connection to the ring is the catalyst. The Hal-ogram demonstrates an awareness of John's conversations and can manifest even when John is not actively summoning it, prompting a shocked reaction from the 2006 version of Hal himself.
"The ring manifests whatever the wearer’s thinking," the Hal-ogram explains. John is later able to dematerialize the projection by focusing on singing, confirming that the wearer's willpower directly influences the construct's manifestation and persistence. Hal Jordan, within the Hal-ogram, expresses disbelief, stating, "I don’t know any Lanterns that can do that. Hell, I can’t even do that." He acknowledges John's actions as "amazing" and "goddamn incredible," a level of recognition the original Hal never afforded him.
This apparent ability for John to power and sustain constructs independently of the ring's stored energy or his direct focus suggests he might be the most powerful Green Lantern to date within this universe. The Hal-ogram remains manifested for an extended period, accompanying John through multiple events, including a journey to an alien planet, far beyond the ring's estimated remaining power reserves. This suggests John is actively channeling his own willpower to sustain the projection, a capability uncharacteristic of other Lanterns.
The implications are profound. The series posits that John Stewart's connection to the Green Lantern ring allows him to imbue constructs with an unprecedented level of autonomy and duration. Even when John is knocked unconscious or actively trying to dismiss the Hal-ogram, the construct persists, seemingly drawing power from John himself rather than the ring's charge. This is further evidenced when the Hal-ogram manifests to save John from hallucinating after an encounter with a fear-inducing substance on an alien world.
While the series has not yet fully explained the mechanics behind John's extraordinary abilities, the narrative strongly points towards him possessing a unique connection to the Green Lantern power source. This potential positions John Stewart as a figure destined for unparalleled power within the Green Lantern mythos. As Lanterns heads into its finale, the show seems poised to delve deeper into the nature of John's abilities and how they allow him to break the established rules of Green Lantern canon.
Lanterns is currently streaming on HBO Max.