Five years ago, Marvel Studios teased much of what would be seen in DC Studios' 2026 film Green Lantern. DC Studios is set to debut its first live-action Green Lantern project in over a decade, featuring John Stewart and Hal Jordan as part of the Lantern Corps. However, given how many comic book-based projects have been released in the entertainment industry over the past few years, it's unsurprising that it bears some resemblance to material fans have already seen.
DC Studios is almost ready to release its third series, Lanterns, on HBO Max, which launches on August 16. Ahead of its release, the new DC series appears to bear some resemblance to Marvel Television's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the second Marvel Cinematic Universe series on Disney+, which debuted in 2021.
6 Similarities Between DC's Star Lanterns and Marvel's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Genre: detective/thriller and plot with conspiracy elements.
The main plot of Green Lanterns unfolds in a small Nebraska town, where numerous murders are solved while John Stewart trains with Hal Jordan to become a Green Lantern. The first two trailers hint at numerous mysteries, while also incorporating thriller elements into the overall superhero story.
It's similar to what happened in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which brought its unique sense of mystery to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The two main characters learn about the re-creation of the Super-Soldier serum while investigating the activities of the Flag Smashers. This leads them to the Power Broker, who is eventually revealed to be Sharon Carter.
The dynamics of the relationship between the two main characters in the action comedy.
Buddy cop stories are a staple of the Hollywood landscape, and the Green Lantern series explores a similar theme with its portrayal of John Stewart and Hal Jordan. At least at the beginning of the series, Jordan will be training Stewart in the ways of the Green Lantern, though their relationship will be rocky for both of them.
This same dynamic is clearly evident in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (played by Sebastian Stan) meet for the fifth time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even before the series' release, it was said that Sam and Bucky were inspired by Lethal Weapon, and they had to put aside numerous differences in their working methods to ultimately learn to respect each other and form a close bond.
The Passing of the Relay
While Star Lanterns will show Hal Jordan training John Stewart, the new DC Studios series is also expected to be a sort of "passing the baton" story for the two main characters. Chandler's long-term future as Hal Jordan in the DC Universe is still unknown, but with Aaron Pierre already scheduled to return in 2027's Man of Tomorrow, this series will likely follow John Stewart's development into the hero he is expected to become.
A similar transition occurred in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, after Steve Rogers passed on the mantle of Captain America to Sam Wilson. After struggling to accept the change and even passing the title to John Walker, played by Wyatt Russell, who became Captain America, he eventually heeded Bucky's pleas and took on the responsibility of wielding the shield.
A story told on a grand scale.
«Lanterns will be the first DC Universe project to feature intergalactic elements, given that the Lantern Corps is a classic extraterrestrial organization. Although the action will take place exclusively on the franchise's main planet, fans can expect to see the Corps operating outside of Earth's atmosphere, as well as some of the team's classic alien villains, including Sinestro.
While The Falcon and the Winter Soldier doesn't feature intergalactic elements, Sam and Bucky travel the globe on their mission to destroy the Flag Smashers. Using several cities in the United States as well as the newly introduced city of Madrior in Southeast Asia, the story becomes a global event, involving characters from many major countries.
A third-party character is vying for the title of lead hero.
Alongside Hal Jordan and John Stewart, Green Lantern marks Nathan Fillion's third appearance in the DC Universe as Guy Gardner (this time, he'll be using a fair amount of curse words). While Gardner isn't typically considered the primary Green Lantern in the DC Universe, he could be a contender for the title, given that Earth isn't typically assigned a representative to the Green Lantern Corps.
Fillion's role in this series could be similar to Wyatt Russell's role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where he made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as John Walker. Walker assumed the mantle of Captain America after Sam Wilson gave up the shield, putting him in near-direct competition with the series' title character for the superhero role.
A villain with controversial views
Ulrich Thomsen makes his DC Universe debut in the Green Lantern comic book as Thaal Sinestro, traditionally known as one of the Green Lantern Corps' main villains in DC Comics. However, as in many Lantern stories, he will be depicted as the Lantern who trained Hal Jordan, creating a close bond between them before he eventually becomes more of an antagonist.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier featured a character who also straddled the line between hero and villain: Helmut Zemo, played by Daniel Brühl. He initially served as the main villain in Captain America: Civil War, where he assisted Sam and Bucky in their fight against the Flag Smashers and the Power Broker; he even returned to the Raft at the end of the series.