Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Lanterns season 1
James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow is shaping up to be a major chapter in the DC Universe, and not just because it’s set to bring back David Corenswet’s Superman alongside Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor in what will reportedly be an uneasy alliance against Brainiac, one of the most powerful cosmic DC villains of all time. The sequel is confirmed to feature even more heroes, including Aaron Pierre’s next DCU appearance as John Stewart following his debut in HBO’s Lanterns.
Based on the finale episode of Lanterns season 1, we now have a pretty good idea about how and why John Stewart’s Green Lantern will appear in Man of Tomorrow. Not only that, but it follows that John’s efforts on the big-screen could very well set the stage for a very different second season of Lanterns in the DCU’s future.
A second season of Lanterns has yet to be officially confirmed, though a writers’ room has been formed to explore what future stories could look like. That being said, Lanterns season 1’s ending and John’s confirmed involvement in Man of Tomorrow have arguably laid a solid foundation already for what the show’s future will look like.
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Man of Tomorrow Will Be John Stewart’s True Superhero Debut
At the end of Lanterns season 1, John Stewart lays out a new status quo for himself and Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, the current Green Lantern of Sector 2814 chosen by the Guardians of Oa when John Stewart turned down the ring in 2016. Now having chosen to be a Lantern on his own terms wielding Hal Jordan’s old power ring, John says that while Guy can keep the rest of Sector 2814, he’s going to protect Earth as a more independent Green Lantern, implying to Guy that if the Guardians have a problem with it then he’ll expose their role creating the rogue genocidal Manhunters.
In light of this new deal, John Stewart finally looks ready to be the kind of Lantern he wants to be by the end of this first season, and the behind-the-scenes features for the Lanterns finale makes it crystal clear following new comments from writer Tom King:
“The other Green Lanterns are cops, but John Stewart is a superhero.”
Keeping that in mind, that feels like a key distinction that will be made in 2027’s Man of Tomorrow. In the upcoming DCU movie directed by DC Studios head James Gunn, John Stewart could very well take Guy’s place on the Justice Gang, the team of heroes who helped Kal-El in 2025’s Superman. Even if John doesn’t join the team and Guy is still around, Man of Tomorrow will more than likely be John’s time to shine, proving himself as a true hero in the DCU.
Overall, a Superman-centered movie featuring Brainiac feels like an epic opportunity for John to demonstrate what sets him apart as that “superhero” rather than another “space cop”. Likewise, a big-budget superhero movie will no doubt be a great vehicle, allowing Stewart to really let loose with his ring, creating all kinds of constructs made from the green light of willpower (which were certainly more limited on the more grounded HBO series).
Furthermore, if John Stewart does help defeat Brainiac or otherwise prove himself as a legitimate protector of Earth, one can imagine this might help solidify his relationship with the Guardians and his decision to be more independent. After all, his decision to break the chain of command and be a Lantern on his own terms will likely frustrate the Guardians, who see themselves as absolute authority in the universe. However, John potentially helping to take down a major cosmic threat like Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow could make it much harder to dismiss his value.
Seeing as how the Guardians wanted John to be a Green Lantern in the first place, ever since he was a child, perhaps they could learn to live with his more independent approach, especially when combined with John’s thinly veiled threat to expose the Manhunters’ true origins. Thanks to John’s role in Man of Tomorrow, the hoped-for Lanterns season 2 could have a fascinating starting point, ready to define his place as a Green Lantern while still operating outside the official confines of the Corps and its leadership.
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After Man of Tomorrow, Lanterns Season 2 Will Be A Completely Different DCU Show
Regardless of what happens with John Stewart in Man of Tomorrow, Lanterns season 2 will certainly need to tell a very different kind of story compared to the first season. After all, the Rushville incident has pretty much been wrapped up, and the entire status quo has now changed as mentioned above.
The hope is that John and Guy Gardner’s new deal will give Stewart another connection to the wider Green Lantern mythology, potentially raising the cosmic stakes even higher, even if the show remains primarily Earth-bound. Likewise, despite Earth being his claimed jurisdiction, it would be pretty cool to see John visit other worlds like Oa, even if the time spent there is brief.
Ultimately, a larger scale conflict or mystery would make perfect sense for John Stewart, especially following his Man of Tomorrow appearance. Even if he remains independent of the Guardians, a growing reputation could bring him into contact with new allies, enemies, and conflicts much bigger than those seen in the first season. While a more grounded atmosphere and investigative elements could still be featured, the potential for much bigger events beyond a conflict confined to a small town in Nebraska feels very likely.
In short, Man of Tomorrow can be the connective tissue that allows Lanterns to evolve naturally from its first season to a much bigger second season (in more ways than one). The Superman sequel can help establish John as a legitimate superhero in the DCU, which Stewart will then be able to take into his next mission on HBO Max. Although a second season of Lanterns has yet to be confirmed and John’s full role in Man of Tomorrow remains a mystery, the pieces are definitely there for the two projects to complement each other incredibly well.
All episodes of Lanterns season 1 are now streaming on HBO Max from DC Studios.