Abhiroop Das
Created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, ‘Lanterns’ takes the story of Hal Jordan and John Stewart for a genre-bending spin. Instead of them being space cops and going on intergalactic quests to fight horrors of the unknown variety, we meet the duo in rural Nebraska, where there seem to be aliens and genocidal robots roaming in human skin. By the end of the season, however, both John and the audience alike have to bid Hal goodbye, as his body gets put to rest, and his ring finds its way on John’s finger, though in a slightly different form than it used to be. However, fans are having a hard time believing that this is it for Hal. This is not just because he is one of the most significant figures in the larger DC comics canon, but also because of how Kyle Chandler’s endearing take on the character has made him among the most beloved amongst viewers worldwide.
Kyle Chandler Might Make a Limited Appearance in Lanterns Season 2
While HBO has not hinted at Kyle Chandler’s return as the iconic Hal Jordan in a potential second season of ‘Lantern,’ the demand amongst fans speaks for itself. From the very moment Hal’s death is revealed in episode 1, the question of Kyle’s future with the show has been on everyone’s lips. With love for his charming performance pouring in from all corners, departing with the actor after just eight episodes might not be the way to move forward. However, the demand from fans is merely one half of the story, as there are also narrative demands to be met. Hal’s demise shapes the entirety of season 1, with the final stretch taking the form of one last swan song for the character. Overturning that arc for a sequel will require a lot of work in and of itself, and doesn’t necessarily guarantee a neat transition in terms of story.
One of the biggest teases about Hal being alive, and by extension, Kyle coming back, came from James Gunn himself. In a conversation with a fan, he defended the creative decision to reveal Hal’s death in the series premiere, stating, “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.” By bringing up an “if” factor to Hal’s fate, however, Gunn seems to have fueled more discussions and theories about where the story is headed. While there is still a solid chance that Kyle Chandler makes a comeback, there are nonetheless many considerations to factor in, such as production schedules, the gap between seasons, and the fact that Hal no longer has a ring by the end of the season.
Sinestro Might Bring Hal Back to Life, For Better or For Worse
Despite Hal’s death being fairly confirmed by the end of season 1, there are still two ways the story hints at him potentially coming back. The first, and more conventional approach,h can continue the trick introduced in the latter half of the season, that is, using Halogram as a stand-in. While this means that Hal can never become a lantern again, it still retains his thoughts and personality, turning him into a sidekick to John, of sorts. The problem with that, however, is that the ring is now officially John’s, which means that Halogram’s consciousness has almost certainly been erased from it. If that wasn’t the case, then Hal would technically still have access to Abin Sur’s consciousness, which we know is almost certainly not the case.
Treating Halogram as a sidekick also doesn’t exactly sit right with Hal’s legacy as a protagonist in and of himself, and thus, there is a second, more interesting way he can be brought back to the forefront. Right before John leaves Sinestro behind, the latter makes a rather bold claim that he can bring Hal back to life if he gets the ring instead. This is likely a lot more than a throwaway statement, as we are yet to know the full extent of what a ring charged by Sinestro’s lantern is capable of. Season 2 might very well bring Hal’s body to life under not-so-friendly circumstances, as way too many narrative threads seem to be building up to the arrival of Parallax, the all-powerful parasite whose presence is synonymous with that of the Yellow Lanterns, and also, that one time in the comics when Hal became a villain, namely, the ‘Zero Hour’ crisis event. For now, though, Hal’s postmortem fate remains hanging in the air as ambiguously as ever.
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