Lanterns: Lindelof on Fans Wanting Change & Things to Stay The Same

· BC

Posted in: HBO, Max, Movies, TV | Tagged: lanterns

Lanterns: Lindelof on Fans Wanting Change & Things to Stay The Same

After tackling Watchmen and Lanterns, Damon Lindelof has some thoughts on the paradox that comes from fans wanting change - but not really.

Published Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:37:10 -0500
by Ray Flook
|
Comments

Article Summary

  • Lanterns looks like a major HBO and DC Studios win, even as some Green Lantern diehards rage over its bold premiere ending - and other aspects.
  • Damon Lindelof says Lanterns proves the fan paradox: audiences demand fresh takes, then reject anything too different.
  • Lindelof argues adaptation means change, and Lanterns embraces creative risks instead of rigidly repeating comic canon.
  • For Lindelof, the goal with Lanterns isn’t provoking fans but telling an emotionally honest story inside familiar IP.

Based on the numbers that hit on Thursday, HBO and DC Studios have a serious homerun with Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King's Aaron Pierre (John Stewart) and Kyle Chandler (Hal Jordan)-starring Lanterns. But that doesn't mean everyone is happy – especially the "Green Lantern" diehards who seemed to lose their collective s**t over the Hal Jordan-killing ending to the series premiere. But for many of them, their issues lie with pretty much anything that isn't exactly from the comic book universe. They're not having it – even as they complain that there isn't enough original storytelling out there. You know, it's the old, "I want change but don't you dare give me anything different!" paradox. It's an issue that Lindelof addressed during a conversation that he and King had with The Hollywood Reporter – and if anyone can appreciate the pitfalls that come from tackling a beloved work, it's the guy who made HBO's Emmy Award-winning Watchmen a reality.

Image: HBO

"We all just have to acknowledge that there's a level of hubris involved in taking on any of this preexisting IP. But it is called adaptation. Source material is supposed to change and evolve [by definition]. As a consumer and as someone who's making this stuff, there's almost a responsibility to take risks. I don't think anybody wants to see you be completely and totally vigilant to the source material because then it isn't an adaptation at all. Shouldn't we be beyond this conversation by now?" Lindelof shared, getting to the heart of the problem. "There is a fundamental grumbling and annoyance that we're still telling the same stories over and over and over again. But at the same time, we're hungry for something new," he continued. "And because we don't want to resolve or acknowledge that paradox in ourselves, we throw it onto the culture. It manifests itself in conversations about whether or not Odysseus is having enough sex."

Despite grumblings from some on social media trying to convince fans otherwise, Lindelof made it clear that storytellers looking to tell unique stories within an established franchise aren't doing so with the intent of angering fans. The reality is that viewers are still hooked on popular franchises, so that's the sandbox they have to work in. By offering different takes and perspectives, it keeps the franchise from becoming stale. "Nobody who does what we do goes to bed at night, saying, 'All that I care about is whether or not I pissed off the fans.' They go to bed at night, going, 'Did I do anything worthwhile creatively? Did I put anything authentically emotional into this story that people can relate to?'" he said. "And the fact that we have to do it inside familiar IP most of the time is the cost of doing business."

Along with Pierre and Chandler, the DC Studios series stars Garret Dillahunt (Fear The Walking Dead), Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire, In the Line of Duty), Poorna Jagannathan (Never Have I Ever, Deli Boys), Ulrich Thomsen (Counterpart, The Blacklist), Nicole Ari Parker (And Just Like That), Jason Ritter (Matlock), J. Alphonse Nicholson (P-Valley), Sherman Augustus (Stranger Things), Jasmine Cephas Jones (Blindspotting), Chris Coy (Bass Reeves), Paul Ben-Victor (Nobody Wants This), Cary Christopher (Days of Our Lives), and Laura Linney (Ozark). In addition, Nathan Fillion will be reprising his Superman role as Green Lantern Guy Gardner for the series.

The series spotlights new recruit John Stewart (Pierre) and legendary Lantern Hal Jordan (Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland. Helming the series are directors James Hawes, Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Alik Sakharov. Based on the DC Comics Green Lantern, the series is executive produced by Mundy, Lindelof, Gunn, Safran, King, Hawes, and Ron Schmidt.

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!