Lindelof Responds To “Lanterns” Criticism

One of the creators of HBO’s “Lanterns,” Emmy winner Damon Lindelof, has apologised for a joke he previously made about the show’s name change.

Set in the DC Universe, the series offers a more grounded take on the Green Lantern comics. The recent first trailer for the series drew criticism for its lack of cosmic elements.

In a 2024 appearance on the Lovett or Leave It podcast, Lindelof joked: “It’s called Lanterns because we all agreed that the green was stupid. Now, it’s just Lanterns.”

That comment resurfaced and drew the ire of Scottish writer Grant Morrison who penned multiple Green Lantern comics. In a posting on Substack, Morrison ripped into Lindelof with a lengthy post which included the line: “The only people who give a f— about the Lanterns TV series are Green Lantern fans. Why alienate them at the start? That feels more like ‘stupid.’”

Lindelof has now issued a lengthy apology for his comments:

“I have upset Grant Morrison, which means I have now p-ssed off MOST of the brilliant British/Scottish comics writers that I grew up idolising. To quote the bard (Otis Redding), this is nobody’s fault but mine. I made a dumb joke on a comedy podcast. I’m not going to bob and weave about context. The joke was dumb, the fandom is not.

I owe them an explanation and a genuine reflection of my actual feelings. The very first time I appeared on a Comic-Con panel was for the ‘Lost’ pilot, back in the summer of 2004. I wore my favorite T-shirt as I had long grown out of my favorite underoos, those being the uniform of Hal Jordan, Green Lantern of Sector 2814.

For a quiet, uncoordinated kid, there was nothing cooler than a hero whose superpower was his imagination. And green is not stupid, it is my lifelong favorite color, and I have a questionnaire that I filled out in third grade to prove it. Green is f—ing awesome.

More importantly, it would be a betrayal to everyone I worked for and alongside to say anything other than I was absolutely honored to be a part of the team that manifested the incredible construct that is Lanterns… because it was.

I was sloppy and careless with my words, ironic considering I care so much about Hal, John, and the entire Corps. I can and will do better to be worthy of the oath…until then, I’ll let the show speak for itself, and I can’t wait for you all to hear what it has to say.”

Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler lead the “Lanterns” series, which will arrive on the premium cabler in August.

Source: The Playlist