Spoiler alert: This story contains major details from Season 1, Episode 6 of Lanterns, now streaming on HBO Max.

After sitting out the first five episodes of Lanterns, Nathan Fillion has finally arrived as Guy Gardner — and his return reshapes the Green Lantern lineup.

Episode 6 reveals Guy as the new Green Lantern after John Stewart, played by Aaron Pierre, gives up the ring for good. Sporting his signature bowl haircut, Guy enters the show’s 2026 timeline as John returns to Rushville and reunites with Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler, one final time before Hal is found dead in the bleachers.

Fillion joked that his lengthy absence had made it difficult to convince friends he was actually part of the series. “Thank goodness HBO has been kind enough to use my face up on the placard on the screen!” he said.

Guy’s delayed debut also strengthens his position as a recurring presence across the expanding DC Universe overseen by co-chairmen James Gunn and Peter Safran.

“It’s nice that there’s a bunch of us witnessing the birth of the DC Universe that’s being thrown at us in these pieces, and Guy Gardner is becoming a thread in the backdrop,” Fillion said. “He’s a very public part. I think that says a lot about who he is.”

John Stewart Calls in a Debt

Guy enters the central action after receiving Rushville’s distress signal and visiting John in jail. Although he is initially unwilling to break John out, his attitude changes when John reminds him exactly how he received the ring: “Everything you have is because I didn’t take it.”

The exchange leaves Guy indebted to someone for the first time, striking directly at the character’s pride.

“Wearing the ring, and having the mantle of Green Lantern, is far more important to Guy’s ego than it is to Hal and John’s,” Fillion explained. “The stakes are higher for his sense of identity. He doesn’t like that he owes John Stewart anything — John Stewart needs a favor, and that’s what he leans on.”

Guy was the third choice for Green Lantern on Earth, behind Hal and John. Fillion believes that history left the character with a chip on his shoulder, even if his current status helps soothe it.

“That status suits Guy very, very well,” the actor said. “Guy is a fellow who’s really comfortable throwing his weight around.”

The episode underlines Guy’s interest in fame before he even appears in person. His face is first seen on a cardboard display advertising Electro Punch in a Rushville grocery store. According to Fillion, Guy is focused on branding and sponsorships, has financial and retirement goals and wants to open a bar.

“He wants to not just be Green Lantern, but a famous Green Lantern,” Fillion said.

Keeping Guy Consistent Across Different Tones

Fillion admitted he was surprised to be asked to reprise the role in the more grounded Lanterns. His primary concern was preserving the character even as the tone shifted.

“What I didn’t want was for there to be a shift in the character himself,” he said, comparing the change to the same person experiencing very different weekends in Metropolis and Gotham.

Fillion first played Guy in Gunn’s Superman, released in summer 2025. Because the character’s past has not yet been explored extensively on screen, the actor said he has been able to draw selectively from Guy’s history to explain his abrasive personality and need to prove himself.

That process included considering Guy’s upbringing, his relationship with his father and the experience of being passed over. Fillion also cited a comics storyline in which Guy was struck by a bus and fell into a coma, saying he views that event as the moment that “flipped that switch” in the character.

Fillion, who grew up reading stacks of secondhand comic books, said he initially shared the widespread dislike of Guy. “I think we’re kind of supposed to dislike him,” he said.

His history with Gunn predates the current DC Universe. The pair collaborated on 2006’s Slither and 2010’s Super. Fillion also worked as a voice actor on the mid-2000s Cartoon Network series Justice League Unlimited and voiced characters in Deadpool & Wolverine and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Addressing the performance of Supergirl compared with Superman, Fillion said he could not speak for audience reactions but praised Milly Alcock’s interpretation of Supergirl as “brilliant.” He added that he has yet to be disappointed by Gunn’s work.

What Happens Next?

The Lanterns episode marks the first meeting between Guy and John, but it will not be their last. Both characters are set to appear in Man of Tomorrow, Gunn’s follow-up to Superman, scheduled for release in 2027.

Fillion teased that the film will explore the Green Lantern community as another layer within the “secret club” of superheroes, going deeper than the group he called the Justice Gang.

Guy is also headed into animation. Fillion has already recorded voice work for Mister Miracle, extending the character’s presence across DC projects. For the actor, that growing visibility reflects Guy’s increasingly public place inside the universe.

“Now I hold the record for the most projects by a DCU character,” Fillion said. “This is a nice place to be. I’m in the catbird seat.”