Lanterns' DCU Timeline Explained: Every Major Green Lantern Event

Published Sep 23, 2026, 5:45 PM EDT Ben is a Senior Writer on the New TV team at Screen Rant. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class B.A. Degree in English Literature and History. Born and raised in Ireland, Ben has always had a love for storytelling in all forms of media and operates multiple projects under the name Benjamin Blogs. Ben is a comic book writer and podcast host, in addition to his work as an entertainment journalist. He has worked as both a writer and editor for Screen Rant, Collider, and other media outlets across various departments, including features, news, reviews, and interviews. The timeline in Lanterns can be a little confusing due to the non-linear storytelling, but there are some key moments that define the journey of these characters in the DCU. Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and, of course, Guy Gardner all stand out as the titular Green Lanterns in the DCU, but Lanterns unravels the complex story of how these characters became powerful heroes. The series opens up with a scene set in 1996, before immediately jumping ahead 20 years to 2016, and then by the end of episode 1, the show skips another 10 years to 2026. The rest of the series then continues this trend as it hops around the timeline of these characters and unpacks the history of Earth's connection to the power rings and the Guardians. That being said, there are some clear pivotal moments in the course of the series that paint a clear picture, which we have neatly put together in an easy-to-digest outline. 1986: Hal Jordan Becomes Green Lantern Kicking things off, the earliest events of the show so far take place in 1986, when we see John Stewart's father, John Stewart Sr., approached by the power ring and asked if he was afraid. Due to his affirmative response, John Sr. was passed over, leading to Hal Jordan's recruitment as the first Green Lantern of Earth. This is the inciting incident that paves the way for the rest of the show. And when the Guardians approach John's mother, Bernadette, she makes a deal that leads to the infant John being destined to take up the mantle of the Green Lantern, as long as he can answer the question differently to his father. 1991: John Stewart Learns His Destiny From His Parents At the age of 5, John learns the truth from his parents about why they have been treating him differently to his brothers. With the knowledge that he is supposed to be the Green Lantern, John is trained rigorously, with some of these tests crossing the line and robbing him entirely of a normal childhood or a connection to his brothers. 1996: Hal Jordan Reveals His Identity To The World Five years later, in 1991, Hal Jordan reveals his true identity to the world. Having operated as the Green Lantern for the last decade, the world has grown to appreciate the powerful hero that is Hal Jordan, and his removing his secret identity opens him up to becoming a celebrity around the globe. Meanwhile, this only serves to motivate and intensify the training 10-year-old John is undergoing. 2006: Hal Jordan Creates His Last Backup 10 years after that, in 2006, Hal Jordan appears to be somewhat disillusioned with his role as the Green Lantern, and he begins to disregard standard procedure. One such procedure results in John backing up his consciousness to the power ring for the last time in 2006. However, Lanterns are supposed to back up their rings weekly. Sometime Before 2016: John Stewart Joins The Marines As a young adult, John Stewart follows his father's footsteps by joining the US Marine Corps, where he continues to refine his skills as a fighter and obedient soldier. Thanks to his relentless lifelong training, John quickly rises through the ranks, earning himself the rank of Sergeant and being assigned to high-profile jobs that require profound discretion. Unfortunately, on one such mission, as John is camped out for 9 months in a remote part of Russia, Hal Jordan flew into the mix, messing up John's operation and leading to his being dishonorably discharged as a scapegoat to protect the military that assigned him on that mission in the first place. All of this takes place in the years immediately preceding 2016. Sometime Before 2016: Sinestro Rebels Against The Guardians Also around 2016, though the show has yet to explicitly reveal when, Sinestro, Hal Jordan's mentor in the Green Lantern Corps, betrayed the organization and his trainee when he turned on the Guardians and murdered one of these ancient beings. This led to Hal reporting his mentor and capturing him before placing him in the containment facility in Oa. Evidently, this also resulted in Hal becoming further disillusioned with the Lantern Corps, and completely abandoning many of his duties and rules as a Green Lantern. 2016: John Stewart Briefly Attends Arts School Meanwhile, John Stewart's dishonorable discharge paved the way for him to explore another area of his interests and attend Arts School. After his mother applied on his behalf, John was accepted and briefly attended the college where he developed his skills as an artist and architect. However, shortly after beginning his formal education, John was interviewed by the Guardians and offered the position, as long as he was willing to train under Hal and then take over as the new Green Lantern by force. 2016: John Stewart Trains Under Hal Jordan John Stewart then traveled to share the news with his parents, where he found the current Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, in his family home speaking to his parents before he managed to break the news. In front of John's parents, Hal put on a friendly persona, which he immediately dropped when alone with John. The training then commenced, and the pair endured an uncomfortable partnership for a number of weeks where Hal dragged his feet and resisted sharing anything real with John. 2016: John And Hal Investigate Aliens In Rushville Then, after a few months working together, Hal and John answer an emergency call in Rushville, Nebraska, where Hal is convinced a lone Manhunter is hiding in the community. Upon learning about advanced technology in the city, and how a group of other aliens was disposed of in a public setting, John and Hal settle in for an investigation that sees them irk many of the locals. 2016: Hal Jordan Is Arrested & John Stewart Rejects The Power Ring via MovieStillsDB As it turned out, the Manhunter was hiding in Rushville as a woman named Zoe. Zoe had become an integral part of the community, earning favor with the locals and creating a secure network of people who were willing to go to extreme lengths to protect her. A major conflict erupted in the city, as the Manhunter's presence was detected, and John obeyed orders from the Guardians to eliminate the threat, despite forming a romantic connection with Zoe. In the wake of the destruction, Hal was imprisoned for the damage caused, and while John was set up to replace him, John rejected the Guardians' offer at the last moment. Around 2016: Guy Gardner Becomes The Green Lantern Thanks to John rejecting the power ring, and Hal Jordan being indisposed as a prisoner on Earth, a new candidate was found to become the next Green Lantern, Guy Gardner. Guy was a gym teacher, and sometime after the events in Rushville, he was entrusted with a new Power Ring, making him Earth's only Green Lantern. 2026: Hal Jordan Is Murdered 10 years later, in 2026, John Stewart has moved on with his life, repairing his relationship with one of his brothers, and distancing himself from the harmful influences of his obsessive parents. John has found success as an architect, generating significant wealth, and creating panic rooms to protect people from the fallout of superheroes' conflicts. Just as John is about to get a massive government contract, his mother informs him that Hal, who was recently released from prison, wants to apologize. John travels to meet Hal, who has settled down in Rushville, despite the frosty reception of his presence by the locals. The day after John meets Hal, he receives a call from Sheriff Kerry Kane, informing him that Hal has been murdered. He returns to the bleachers where Hal and John first began their investigation a decade earlier, finding Hal frozen and lifeless in the bleachers. From here, the timeline largely connects to major DCU releases such as Superman and Man of Tomorrow, with John confirmed to return in the latter film as a Green Lantern. With that, Lanterns brings the story of Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner in line with the wider shared universe and sets up a future for the Green Lantern Corps in the DCU. Release Date August 16, 2026 Network HBO Showrunner Chris Mundy Cast Aaron Pierre John Stewart Directors Alik Sakharov, James Hawes, Stephen Williams, Geeta Patel Writers Damon Lindelof, Chris Mundy, Tom King, Vanessa Baden Kelly, Justin Britt-Gibson, Breannah Gibson Franchise(s) DC Universe Creator(s) Tom King, Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof