Green Lantern is beloved by many of us and Ernie Altbacker can’t wait to tell John Stewart’s story in the animated film, Green Lantern: Beware My Power.
You might not know screenwriter Ernie Altbacker by name, but you definitely know his work if you’ve followed the DC Animated movies over the past few years. With credits like Batman: Hush, Injustice, and Green Lantern: The Animated Series under his belt, Altbacker has been working in the DC Universe for a long time. The Illuminerdi recently chatted with Altbacker at the San Diego Comic-Con about his new film, Beware My Power (which he co-wrote with John Semper). When asked if Beware My Power was a direct sequel to the Green Lantern animated series, Altbacker responded:
“No. It’s not a direct sequel at all. It’s something totally different. It’s something new, so we hope that you like it.”
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Despite its relatively short run, the Green Lantern animated series has developed quite a fanbase over the years that would happily see it continue. Running for one season from 2012-2013, the series was canceled due to low toy sales as well as the scathing reviews and low financial performance of the horrendous live-action movie starring Ryan Reynolds in 2011. However, when asked about his favorite Green Lantern, Altbacker responded with an answer that may surprise you:
“Well, I really love John Stewart as a character and he is fantastic. But I even want a lower Green Lantern, I like my Guy Gardiner… He deserves to be raised up into the trinity, or into a big five and the flash and green lantern John Stewart.”
Step Aside Hal, The Only Green Lantern shining here is John Stewart
While Hal Jordan is more widely known, fans of the Justice League animated series that ran from 2001-2004 may remember John Stewart was the chosen Lantern for that team. That series took place within the DC Animated Universe (colloquially known as the Timmverse for one of its main heads Bruce Timm) and saw respected voice actor Phill LaMarr voice John Stewart during its run. That universe also included Batman: The Animated Series, its sequel Batman Beyond, Superman: The Animated Series, The Zeta Project, Justice League: Unlimited, and Static Shock, the latter of which saw LaMarr voice its title character throughout its 4-season run. The Arrowverse also saw a character named John Diggle (portrayed by David Ramsey) whose character was widely compared to Stewart and implied to become The Lantern by that series’ end.
Guy Gardiner has also appeared in various series including Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Green Lantern: The Animated Series (as Hal’s temporary replacement), and several video games. He has had one live-action appearance in the pilot of Justice League of America from the late ‘90s and is set to be one of the leads in HBOMax’s upcoming Green Lantern series portrayed by Finn Wittrock. So all in all, it appears that Altbacker and other fans of Gardiner will get to see their favorite Lantern in a major role onscreen soon. What more could you ask for?
John Stewart was created by Neal Adams and Dennis O’Neil and debuted in Green Lantern (Volume 2) issue#87 in December 1971/January 1972. The character also has skills in architecture that make his constructs more meticulous than those of his other Lanterns. He also has a willingness to kill when the situation calls for it. Guy Gardiner was created by John Broome and Gil Kane and made his debut in issue #59 of Green Lantern Vol 2 in March 1968. Again, he will appear in the upcoming HBOMax series in the coming months. You can catch Green Lantern: Beware My Power July 26, 2022 on Blu-Ray, Digital, and 4K.
What did you think of Ernie Altbacker’s comments regarding Green Lantern: Beware My Power? Are you excited about the new animated film? Who’s your favorite Lantern? Will you watch the HBO Max series when it premieres? Let us know in the comments below and on our Twitter.
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