- The teaser for Lanterns‘ eighth and final episode has been posted online
- It’s sparked a major new fan theory about John Stewart and Sinestro
- It appears to have ties to the show’s name and title card
Full spoilers immediately follow for Lanterns episode 7. Potentially huge spoilers are also discussed for Lanterns episode 8.
The trailer for Lanterns‘ season 1 finale has sparked a major new theory among fans — and it’s got nothing to do with the central mystery surrounding Hal Jordan.
HBO’s Green Lantern TV show has been a hot topic of conversation since it premiered in mid-August. Indeed, ever since Lanterns episode 1 dropped the bombshell that Hal Jordan had been murdered in its 2026 storyline, fans have, among other things, been trying to solve events surrounding this shocking moment.
With just one chapter, titled ‘Dirt and Stars’ remaining, many are hoping that Lanterns will explain all before its end credits roll for the final time. However, viewers are also now wondering about John Stewart’s fate in the HBO Max show following the release of the forthcoming finale’s teaser — and I’m starting to believe that what they’re predicting might come to pass.
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Is John Stewart going to become the DC Universe’s first Yellow Lantern?
I’ll preface what follows by saying I haven’t seen ‘Dirt and Stars’. I watched the first seven episodes for my spoiler-free Lanterns review, but HBO and DC Studios don’t want anything from this week’s chapter to leak online ahead of time. As such, members of the press won’t see it prior to its debut on October 4/5, which means I have no insider information on how the season 1 story will be wrapped up.
But, I digress. With Stewart and the Hal-O-Gram — the latter being a digital back-up of Jordan’s consciousness, which lives inside Jordan’s Green Lantern ring — traveling off-world and crossing paths with Sinestro in episode 7, the stage is set for a dramatic season finale.
The debuting of Lanterns episode 8 teaser has only further raised our collective excitement levels. More than that, though, it’s sparked a new fan theory that, as this article’s sub-header acknowledges, Stewart might be getting set up to be the DC Universe’s (DCU) first Yellow Lantern.
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I covered the creation of the Yellow Lanterns, otherwise known as the Sinestro Corps., in my Sinestro in Lanterns explained article. Essentially, though, this antagonistic faction wield Lantern rings fueled by fear, rather than willpower, which powers Green Lantern rings.
With Yellow Lanterns being required to understand and control fear, it’s not a leap to suggest that the DCU’s Stewart is a prime candidate for this role.
After all, he’s been trained to be fearless since the age of five, so he’d make for a perfect Yellow Lantern if the manipulative Sinestro can persuade Stewart to join his cause — something Sinestro is clearly trying to do by telling Stewart: “The Guardians [of the Universe] think fear makes you weak. They couldn’t be more wrong. Fear can be the most powerful force in the universe.”
Some fans are convinced that, while Stewart might not fully help to form the Sinestro Corps. in the DCU Chapter One project, he’s set to become a Yellow Lantern instead of a Green one, too.
“Is it just me, or are they setting up John as a Yellow Lantern?” Reddit user MrMojoRising422 mused. “John’s gonna be a Lantern.. but Green? not 100% sure,” FlashyClaim also pondered, before fmalk wrote: “Maybe he’s only meant to be a Lantern in [James Gunn’s Superman sequel] Man of Tomorrow? After this episode 7, I wouldn’t bet 100% on him been Green.”
“Yeah, the finale is gonna be about Sinestro tempting John with becoming a Yellow Lantern,” Maleficent-Choice254 suggested, while ArcadianBlueRogue asked: “Are….are they gonna have the balls to have John have to pick between the Green and Yellow rings?”
There’s evidence to suggest this fan theory might not be so wild, either.
For one, Lanterns‘ title card seems to have been foreshadowing this since the show began, with its green hues subtly being replaced by a brighter yellow as the weeks have gone on. If that’s not a big clue that Stewart’s allegiance might switch from the Greens to the Yellows, I don’t know what it is.
Additionally, Lanterns‘ tagline of “only one can wear the ring” implies that there can only be one Green Lantern on planet Earth. Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner is the current holder of that title so, unless Stewart finds a loophole that allows Earth to have two Green Lanterns, becoming a Yellow Lantern might be the only option available to him.
Then there’s Redditors Elegant_Positive5768 and M00reC, plus X/Twitter user OlinOnBull, who’ve reminded us that DC Studios co-head James Gunn shared a very specific image of John Stewart when Lanterns was announced as part of the original DCU Chapter One line-up in January 2023. The picture in question? Stewart wielding a Yellow Lantern ring.
Another sign that gives legs to this hypothesis is the Hal-O-Gram telling Stewart “you’re taking a very big risk” in the episode 8 teaser.
Is he warning Stewart that he’s taking a major gamble by trusting Sinestro and/or becoming a Yellow Lantern, which would infuriate the Guardians? If so, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Guardians send Guy Gardner, aka Earth’s current Green Lantern, to forewarn Stewart about the potential pitfalls of doing this.
The season finale’s teaser confirms Gardner will show up. Furthermore, at the 1:31 mark of Lanterns‘ official trailer, we see Gardner telling someone that an army is going to be sent to “put you down”. That trailer was edited in a way to make it seem like he was talking to Jordan, but what if it’s actually Stewart who he’s speaking to?
The Lanterns finale has a lot to carry (Kerry?), but based on what’s been established on the show and some of the swings it’s been taking, I don’t see John Stewart becoming Green Lantern by the end. It’ll be controversial as hell, but…I think he gets a yellow ring. #LanternsSeptember 28, 2026
As the above X/Twitter user points out, we already know Aaron Pierre will return as John Stewart in Man of Tomorrow, but there’s no word on whether he’ll be a Green Lantern in one of next year’s most exciting new movies.
I’ll readily admit it’ll be a massive — and likely controversial — swing from Lanterns‘ creators and wider writing team if it ends with Stewart being a Yellow Lantern rather than a Green Lantern. But hey, I’m all for narrative surprises if it’s not to the detriment of a character’s overarching journey. So, if all roads have been leading Stewart to become a Yellow Lantern (even if it’s temporary), I’m all for it.
But, what do you think: will Stewart end season 1 as a Green or Yellow Lantern? Let me know in the comments.
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