Grant Morrison Comments on HBO/DC Studios' Lanterns Premiere
Grant Morrison reviewed the first episode of HBO and DC Studios' series Lanterns, praising some performances while criticizing its visual approach and budget choices.
Writer Grant Morrison said they felt obliged to watch the premiere of HBO and DC Studios' Lanterns after previously criticizing producer Damon Lindelof’s remark about dropping the word “green.” Morrison praised Aaron Pierre’s portrayal of John Stewart and noted Kyle Chandler provided a strong performance as Doctor McCoy, though they observed Chandler’s version of Hal Jordan differed from the traditional character.
Morrison argued the series relies too heavily on exposition rather than visual storytelling and compared the false analogy to HBO’s True Detective as detrimental. They highlighted the absence of distinctive costumes and ring effects, attributing it to budget constraints and an effort to distance the show from the earlier unsuccessful Green Lantern film.
The commentator questioned the decision to produce a Green Lantern series with limited resources, suggesting DC could have chosen other lower-budget heroes instead of pursuing a franchise that competes with high-concept properties such as Star Trek or Star Wars. Morrison concluded that, despite these concerns, mainstream reviews have been largely positive and the show appears to have found a balance between comic-book depth and broader audience appeal.