Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Mike Redmond | News | September 23, 2026
It didn’t take a rocket scientist for my algorithm to figure out a very simple truth about me: If people are mad about something, whether it’s construction in town, intra-party squabbles, or some sort of nerd fracas, by golly, I’m gonna look. So, my feed has been sloppy with dorks complaining about how Lanterns is somehow doing Hal Jordan dirty. An argument that is completely nuts because Kyle Chandler’s Jordan is easily the best part of the show thanks in no small part to his chemistry with Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart. Their casting is lighting in a bottle.
Despite the fact that Hal Jordan has been a literal main character of Lanterns for the entire season, some fans are angry at the premiere’s big reveal that Hal gets murdered in the show’s 2026 timeline. Again, this has not taken him off the table in any way whatsoever. Instead, we’ve been blessed with Chandler’s deliciously cantankerous portrayal of a lonely superhero in the twilight years of a career that he never expected to end.
“The old man upstairs said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna give you a gift,’” Chandler told Men’s Journal over the summer. “He threw me a bone, and I chewed that thing all the way through. Before I went out, I decided I’m gonna have fun. Damn the torpedoes.”
Yup, he did that. Kyle Chandler 100% did that, and it is right there on the screen, plain as day. But if you’ve spent even just a nanosecond online, then you know that nerd grousing reigns supreme. Well, James Gunn had enough.
Over on Threads, Gunn fired back at some nerds who claimed the show disrespects real comic book fans, which is absurd if you know anything about Gunn. He’s practically trying to will the ’90s era of DC Comics into movie theaters. But apparently killing a character is a bridge too far even though comic books do this sort of thing all the freakin’ time.
“Maybe you should try and at least respect the characters that made the comics popular,” a user wrote. “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.”
Here’s what Gunn replied, and I kinda wish he didn’t say one very particular part. (Possible spoiler for Lanterns below. You’ve been warned!)
Hal’s the star of TV series & he’s in all the episodes so far. 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.
“Is Hal Jordan really dead?” has probably been the biggest question of the entire season. There are multitudes of theories flying around, which makes Gunn’s comments on Hal’s murder a little too cute. Internet commenters live to complain, so trying to pacify them is a fool’s errand. Giving them hope that their favorite character might not be dead only spoils the show for viewers who are loving what Lanterns has been cooking.
Sure, Hal is probably not dead, maybe, but this show has been a masterclass in misdirection, so who knows what’s going to happen?
