Nathan Fillion's Green Lantern: A Jerk in Gunn's Superman Film

James Gunn's upcoming Superman film introduces a fresh take on the iconic superhero, and with it comes Nathan Fillion's portrayal of Green Lantern, specifically the character Guy Gardner. In a recent interview with TV Guide, Fillion shared insights into his unique interpretation of the character, revealing that his version of Gardner will be quite different from previous iterations seen on film and television.

"He's a jerk!" Fillion exclaimed, emphasizing that to be a Green Lantern, one doesn't need to be good, just fearless. "So Guy Gardner is fearless, and he is not very good. He's not nice, which is very freeing as an actor because you just think to yourself, what is the most selfish, self-serving thing I can do in this moment? And that's the answer. That's what you do in that moment," he explained. Fillion also highlighted Gardner's hubris, suggesting that his character's overconfidence might be his superpower, humorously noting, "I think if he has a superpower, it might be his overconfidence, in that he thinks he could take on Superman. He can't!"

This new Superman film marks the first entry in a completely rebooted DC Cinematic Universe, titled Gods and Monsters. Alongside this cinematic venture, HBO is also developing a series called Lanterns, focusing on other members of the Green Lantern Corps, featuring Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, set to premiere in 2026.

The cast of Superman includes David Corenswet as Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Milly Alcock as Supergirl, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The film, written and directed by James Gunn, is scheduled to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.