Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern Appearance: What’s So Special?

The first trailer for Superman gave audiences their first look at the new DC Universe, and this included a brief appearance by Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern, who looks extremely strange. While more dedicated fans are well aware of the Green Lanterns and their stories, casual audiences have only seen one Green Lantern in the film starring Ryan Reynolds. This has led to confusion about why Fillion looks the way that he does in the 2025 Superman movie. Notably, there are comic book, and other precedents, to examine here.

Green Lantern has been one of the most underserved heroes in recent superhero media. The character has had many canceled appearances, including one in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, where he was replaced with Martian Manhunter due to studio plans for the character that never came together. Fortunately, the Green Lantern Corps will enter the new DCU in a big way with the upcoming release of HBO’s Lanterns, a new series that is set to explore various characters from the comics.

Which Green Lantern Is Nathan Fillion Playing In Superman?

Nathan Fillion’s Iteration Was Announced When He Was Cast

Nathan Fillion is playing Guy Gardner in the cast of Superman, one of the lesser humans who have carried the green power ring. Guy Gardner was created in 1968 but became more prominent in the 1980s and 1990s, where he went on to become a member of the Justice League. Impulsive and headstrong, Gardner is a fan-favorite for many readers of the comics, although he is generally not as highly regarded as figures like John Stewart and Hal Jordan.

Nathan Fillion has had a long relationship with director James Gunn. Fillion appeared in Slither, Super, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. His role in Superman quickly services the idea that the new DCU is launching fully formed, with all kinds of heroes already established in the world. Appearing in brief shots of the trailers alongside Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, the character appears to have a notable relationship with Superman and with the superhero industry in the upcoming film.

Why Guy Gardner Looks Like That In Superman

Fillion Sports An Unconventional Look In The Upcoming Film

There are two strange things about Guy Gardner’s appearance in Superman. The first feature is his unusual hair. In the comics, Guy Gardner has an ugly, bright-orange bowl cut. During production of the film, Gunn made it clear that giving this unusual look to Fillion was part of Gunn’s reason for casting him. This iconic look is important to the character and, while it may look somewhat ugly, it helps to solidify this Green Lantern as entirely different from any previous iteration seen onscreen.

The other unusual part of Fillion’s look has to do with his costume itself. Rather than wearing a green suit like most members of the Green Lantern Corps, the actor is dressed in a white outfit. Many have speculated, especially since Isabela Merced appears to wear a similar outfit, that Green Lantern and other heroes will be part of a sponsored, commercialized superhero institution in the film. Details on this remain to be seen, but the outfits appear to share corporate, rather than comic book-accurate, branding.

Fillion’s look in the latest Superman trailer is unexpected, but it appears to be faithful to the character’s comic book roots. As Gunn constructs the new DCU, the paradigms of a new world must be set, and allowing characters to have strange and zany looks like Fillion’s can play into that. The world of Superman will expand quickly, with a roster of heroes both new and familiar filling the spaces of that world. Hopefully, Fillion’s appearance contributes to a cohesive vision of DC.