The Lanterns TV series for Max that is set to be part of the rebooted DCU’s first batch of movies and shows is still alive, and now DC Studios’ creative overlord, James Gunn, has firmly confirmed the all-star group of writers that has cracked the story and the pilot episode.
Following reports that writers such as Tom King and Damon Lindelof were part of the writers’ room, Gunn took to Instagram (via Deadline) to confirm the news and previous rumors: “Yes, it’s true. The Lanterns DCU series is putting together a crack team of writers, based on a wonderful pilot script and bible by Chris Mundy, Tom King, and Damon Lindelof,” the original post reads.
Chris Mundy is mostly known for his work on Ozark and True Detective: Night Country. Meanwhile, Tom King is one of the biggest names in the realm of DC comic books in recent years, with his work on Batman and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow being highlights; he’s also been part of the DCU’s earliest universe-building stages. As for Lindelof, he’s widely known for being one of the minds behind Lost and shepherding other major shows like HBO’s Watchmen and The Leftovers.
Perhaps the latter is the biggest surprise of this writing team, mainly because his recent involvement in the Rey Skywalker-centric Star Wars movie that should happen in the near future didn’t end with an iteration of the script Lucasfilm was happy to move forward with. One would expect he’d focus on zany work closer to Mrs. Davis, his most recent original TV series, instead of jumping right back into the maws of a massive franchise, but perhaps he’s determined to get another one of these projects off the ground.
For now, it’s looking like the DCU is in capable hands, with creative teams across cinema and TV being convincing so far and packing talent from different forms of media. Up first, we should be seeing James Gunn’s animated Creature Commandos series and his big-screen Superman reboot (which will already introduce Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner), followed by Peacemaker season 2 (now somehow connected to the new continuity) and Supergirl, which recently recruited Cruella and I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie.
It only remains to be seen whether the final results are convincing enough to make the average moviegoer and streaming subscriber care about DC’s treasure trove of iconic characters and stories, as comic book adaptations without marked personalities have been losing some steam as of late.