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Yes, yes, Superman is the big-ticket DC Comics character this summer, probably followed by the guy John Cena plays when Peacemaker debuts this August. But very, very soon, the world of DC fandom is going to start getting very, very green, when the John Stewart and Hal Jordan-starring cosmic mystery Lanterns debuts on HBO. And with a green dawn on the way, it's worth remembering some of the folks that brought the concept of the Lantern Corps into popular culture - folks like legendary voice actor Phil LaMarr, who protrayed John Stewart in the DC Animated Universe. LaMarr was at San Diego Comic Con 2025 at the same time as Popverse, and as pretty huge Lantern fans ourselves, we were thrilled to hear him give his opinion on a very interesting DCU observation.

That is, why the DCU is bringing to screen more Green Lanterns than just Hal Jordan.

LaMarr was attending a press room for Futurama season 13, in which he reprises his long-running role as accountant Hermes Conrad. But with all the Green Lantern stuff on the horizon couldn't help but ask LaMarr how he felt about the Corps' current status, as well as his hopes for the character of John Stewart (who LaMarr played for 5 years).

"The best thing," LaMarr says of his hopes, "Would be is if they [DC] would start making live action movies feel more like the Justice League episodes. It's interesting - because the Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern movie didn't go very well, they're using all the non-Hal Jordan Green Lanterns. In the new Superman, movie you know, they're using Guy Gardner. Then they're going to have Aaron Pierre play John Stewart. Originally, in the comics, those were just the backup Lanterns."

We of course had to mention that a huge part of the reason folks like John Stewart aren't just "backup Lanterns" anymore is because of people like LaMarr, who made popular culture fall in love with not just Stewart, but the concept of a wider Green Lantern Corps in general.

"Back in those days," LaMarr told us, referring to when his Justice League series was running, "There were a lot of young people who are not reading comic books. They got introduced to this character and were like, "Oh, his superpower is his ring? Wow!" 

Superman is in theaters now. Lanterns is expected to debut on HBO in early 2026.

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