When we knew that James Gunn would govern the destinies of the DC Cinematic Universe, We all suspect that the person responsible for guardians of the galaxy I was going to provide the house with Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman with a lighter and more humorous tone. Something that was just confirmed with the announcement of the signings for his Superman. And, specifically, the return to the big screen of Green Lantern Corps.
Because, in order to recover the galactic cops with power rings, Gunn could have opted for a tough and severe character like John Stewart, by a fine detective like Jo Mullein or even having looked for an actor who would give a second chance to Hal Jordan after that crash with Ryan Reynolds. But he has chosen something different: he has chosen Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion).
Who is Guy Gardner? Well, to cut it short, one of the most unpresentable characters in the DC Universe. The ‘Supes’ of David Corenswet, the Lois Lane of Rachel Brosnahan and the rest of the characters in the film will have the actor from Castle and Firefly playing a macho, aggressive guy with a sense of humor as dirty as his language. And, what’s more, with enough power to demolish a small planet. What makes you want to know more about him?
Guy Gardner: where did this guy come from?
Guy Gardner’s origins were, we hate to say, pretty tame: in 1968, cartoonist Gil Kane and the screenwriter John Froome He was pulled out of his sleeve like a Green Lantern recruit candidate who had been relegated to the substitute position. All because after the death of Abin Sur, the previous guard of the Sector 2814, her ring decided that Hal Jordan was closer to her.
In this way, our man seemed destined to combine his work as a physical education teacher and activities as sidekick occasional Jordan. And so it was for a couple of decades until, in the early 80s, the screenwriter Steve Englehart He decided to give a radical change to his personality.
After a string of hardships that included being captured by the General Zod in the Phantom Zone and suffering brain damage when he was hit by a bus, an unrecognizable Guy returned in January 1986, already with his three most characteristic features: the bowl hairstyle, the uniform with lapels and that character that makes him the nightmare of the rest of the superheroes.
Guy Gardner: what are his powers?
In principle, we can say that Guy Gardner has the same abilities as the members of the Green Lantern Corps: his power ring It allows you to create anything your imagination conceives in the form of solid (and green) light, as well as giving you the abilities to fly and survive in any environment. Its only weak points are the need to recharge it every 24 hours and its ineffectiveness against yellow targets.
Over time, and depending on DC’s editorial decisions, Guy has gained and lost other superpowers. Without going any further, we have seen him wearing a robotic exoskeleton built by Blue Beetle, we have learned that his DNA is partially alien (vuldarian, for more details) and we have followed his adventures when he joined the Red Lanterns (as double agent) after the crossover The darkest night.
But these are all details: as is often the case with Green Lanterns, Guy’s true powers are a strong sense of justice and enormous compassion towards the weakest. The problem, as we will see below, is that finding these virtues requires digging very, very deep.
Guy Gardner: why can’t anyone stand him?
Over time, Guy Gardner’s unbearable character has been explained in a more or less coherent way: son of an alcoholic and abusive father, The future Green Lantern learned from a young age the worst traits of toxic masculinity. After having put his life back on track through effort, his hopes of becoming a professional athlete were dashed due to an injury. The brain damage that brought out his worst instincts was the icing on the cake.
This, however, is literature: the truth is that, with his reinvention of Guy Gardner, Steve Englehart wanted wildly caricature the ‘dark’ and macho anti-heroes who triumphed in comics in the 80s. Something that turned out very well. Even too well, because the character ended up being what in Spain we would call “a brother-in-law with windows facing the street”.
This side of Guy shines in his dealings with the superheroines. To prove it, just remember when it led to Ice (her partner in Justice League International) to a porn cinema on their first date. However, the character who can’t stand the badass Green Lantern the least is Batman: Although Guy has received some ‘bat-smack’ than another, he can boast of being the only DC character to have done a bald spot on the Night Lord and lived to tell the tale.
Guy Gardner: will we be ashamed of others in the cinema?
More or less softened, depending on the tone of the production, Guy Gardner has already been seen in audiovisuals, good in series (The Fearless Batman, Green Lantern: The Animated Series), well in feature films like Superman: Red Son. There were also plans to include a cameo of his in the Green Lantern 2011, but they didn’t work, which was almost fortunate if we remember the results of that film.
So, superman by James Gunn will not only be Guy Gardner’s debut in live action: It will also make the character the ambassador of the Green Lantern Corps in the new DC. Something that will surely make us shake our heads more than once… but will also give us satisfaction when this galactic male meets Lois Lane. We are looking forward to seeing it.
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