James Gunn is standing by the decision to kill off Hal Jordan at the beginning of Lanterns. The character, played by Kyle Chandler in the HBO show, was found dead during a 2026 flash-forward at the end of episode one, appearing in 2016 flashbacks from that point onwards.
One fan took to social media to complain about this decision, calling it the “worst thing” the DCU has done so far. “Maybe you should try and at least respect the characters that made the comics popular. 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,” they wrote on Threads to the DC Studios head.
Gunn replied to the criticism, doubling down on the approach they took in the Lanterns show. “Hal’s the star of TV series & he’s in all the episodes so far,” he wrote on Threads. “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.”
He went on to explain that their approach is not as simple as the fan was implying. “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,” he continued. “Hal is a big reason why the show is so popular with fans & non-fans alike; sorry if you don’t like it.”
It’s a fair point. Hal has actually had more screen time than Superman so far, meaning that he’s a huge part of the DCU. While it will likely mean he won’t appear beyond Lanterns, unlike his co-star Aaron Pierre, who is reprising John Stewart in Man of Tomorrow, he is undeniably a big part of the universe on screen so far.
There is also still a question hanging over Hal’s death, as Gunn hints at here when he says “if that’s exactly what it is”. Ever since the first episode, fans have been wondering whether Hal is actually dead or whether his body is actually a Manhunter in disguise. However, episode 6 did seemingly narrow down the potential suspects, leaving me to wonder if he is actually gone after all.
For more, check out our Lanterns review and our Lanterns release schedule guide. We’ve also got a breakdown of all the other new DCU movies and shows you need to know about.