DC Studios Illuminates Comic-Con with ‘Lanterns’ Hall H Panel and Offsite

In brightest day and blackest night. In sweltering heat and all-day lines. It simply would not be a proper San Diego Comic-Con without DC bringing something to the table. And this year, not only did they manage to dazzle with a fun Hall H panel, complete with a ton of footage, but they also trained multiple attendees to become honorary Lanterns themselves with a fun offsite.

Whether it’s The Penguin or Peacemaker, you can always count on DC to bring the best of their worlds to life annually at San Diego Comic-Con. Last year, DC Studios brought the stellar Peacefest presence and Hall H panel. And this year, they upped the ante by giving attendees an immersive sneak peek at their upcoming series Lanterns.

HALL H

Even before kicking off their awesome panel, DC Studios dropped a gift for all Green Lantern fans across the internet, in the form of the latest trailer for the highly anticipated series.

As you can see the story is laid out pretty straightforward. John Stewart is being trained as a replacement for his mentor, Hal Jordan. Jordan has been in the game for such a long time he’s gotten a bit disillusioned by it. However, when Sector 2814 (Earth) is seemingly invaded by the Manhunters (an ancient race of galactic android cops created by the Guardians of OA as a precursor to the Green Lantern Corps), it’ll be up to the buddy cop duo to save the world from imminent destruction.

The panel was incredibly fun and insightful giving us a good idea of the creative process that went into the series from showrunner Chris Mundy, and executive producers Damon Lindelof and Tom King. We also got a feel of the dynamic between cast members Aaron Pierre, Kyle Chandler, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, and Nathan Fillion!

Lindelof, naturally having experience writing DC TV shows with Watchmen, went into how his experience on the Emmy-winning limited series. “I was coming down to Comic-Con for a decade before I was on this side of things. So I identify with and will always be a fan first. Part of being a fan is being immensely protective of these things. I think that there’s a level of excitement that we experience when something new is coming, but also ‘This better not suck’… There’s simultaneous excitement and duty… We want people to feel both.”

Prolific comic book writer, King, was asked about how he felt about the show’s casting choices for John Stewart and Hal Jordan. “I go back to these comics and their creators. And I think of Neal Adams and Denny O’Neil. And that rebellious nature. A guy who won’t accept the way the world is. He wants to push on it and change it. And that’s who Aaron is. And then I think of who Hal Jordan is; that test pilot…that never say die, no fear, always on the edge test pilot. That’s Kyle. And them together is just perfect. Absolutely joyous and wonderful.”

It was then time to ask the Lanterns themselves, Chandler and Pierre, a few questions: specifically what makes John and Hal tick.

“I would say ego. And the fact that I was chosen… This guy, he wasn’t chosen,” joked Chandler, as he pointed to Pierre. “I think that’s one thing Hal has. He’s already doing things that you have to have that mindset. That singular ‘I’m gonna do this.’ That and the fact that he was chosen by this ring brings him a sense of confidence that goes beyond everything else. And dealing with Aaron’s character brings a practicality and intelligence, I think Hal doesn’t have.”

“For me, I was having this conversation earlier today,” stated Pierre. “And I thought, if I had a choice to portray any other character in the DC Universe today, I would still choose John. I would choose John every time. And I think that’s largely because of his grit, and his multi-faceted personality and being. This is an individual who is a former Marine sniper and also an architect. Two seemingly juxtaposed things coexisting in one person. I love how complex he is. My hope is that when folks watch this, they see it and feel a tangible relatability… John wasn’t born with the superpowers that some of his contemporaries were born with. It’s just heart. And that’s one of the things I love about John. He’s a very special character to me.”

Jagannathan was asked about her character, Zoe and her experience with joining the cast of Lanterns. “When [the role] came to me I was like ‘I’m not right for this role.’ I haven’t picked up a comic book since I was a teenager. I was really scared. But when I read the script it drew me in more than any other thing in the genre ever has. But, you know, I was hesitant. Then they said ‘you might have a little something, something with Aaron Pierre.’ So then I went, ‘I’m in!'”

Showrunner, Mundy discussed the otherworldly elements of bringing the Green Lantern mythology to a grounded TV series. “The constructs we wanted to be of nature. We talked about it at length. You talk about it forever. You do it, and you adjust it. You continue to do it in post. Flying, constructs, and suit? We were doing up until, something like nine minutes ago. You’re always trying to get it right… These guys manifest things differently. So we wanted John’s to be architectural-based. But we also wanted to feel the elements of it a little bit. Flying we wanted to have a reaction to the world around it. The suit we wanted to have it scuffed and weak from years of [battle]… all those things you work endlessly on, and eventually you have to give it up because it’s going to go on the air.”

The panel was then interrupted by an unexpected guest: Comic-Con staple, Nathan Fillion, who reprises his role as Guy Gardner from Superman.

The last time we saw Guy in the DC Universe, he was interviewing Peacemaker for a job in the Justice Gang. That obviously went sideways. However, the sillier aspects of Gardner will definitely be toned down in this more grounded series. Fillion spoke about the experience of working with the cast. “When you’re jumping on a moving train, you’re just hoping everyone’s going to be cool, relaxed, and really nice. And that’s your day, you spend a day with these people. Everybody was very sweet, very kind, very nice to me. And then just before they say action, it’s like a cloud rolls over, and everything gets really dour. Everything starts to sink down and everyone starts to brood a little bit. Then ‘Cut!’ and you’re back!”

Among the other highlights of the panel, Fillion showed off his “Best Gardner Ever” shirt while Pierre showed off his awesome jacket and custom JS (John Stewart) sneakers. And the trio of Lanterns took the oath live on stage. It was incredibly epic!

LANTERNS TRAINING HEADQUARTERS

The fun of Lanterns did not just stop at Hall H, however. HBO and DC Studios pulled out all the stops to bring the world of Lanterns to life with a stunning offsite that put fans right into the action of the series, recruiting them for a position as a new Green Lantern. We had a moment to check out the activation and here’s what our experience looked like:

There were moments that felt like a Halloween Horror Nights maze from Universal, as well as a shooting gallery and an escape room. It was incredibly elaborate but so much fun! We met our mentors, and after a job well done, we were awarded our very own Power Rings, as we took the oath with one of the Guardians.

Here’s a quick gallery of more action from throughout the weekend:

The overall experience showcased why no one does Comic-Con offsites quite like DC Studios. And it was a true honor earning the ring!

Lanterns premieres on HBO on August 16! Stay tuned to The Nerds of Color for more coverage as we countdown to the arrival of Hal Jordan and John Stewart!