THE Superman
trailer introduces a series of heroes to UDC
but Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner stands out as one of the most unique and perfectly cast characters to appear in the film. There are many exciting revelations in Superman trailer, but as much as it makes me excited to see David Corenswet become Superman, and Nicholas Hoult playing the evil genius Lex Luthor, Nathan Fillion stole the show.
Fillion is an incredible actor who has played numerous characters in pop culture TV shows and films, and most of the time, he plays the hero. It makes sense, he's a great hero. But, seeing him briefly as Guy Gardner is enough to get me excited about a character I struggled to understand in the upcoming DCU. After all, of all the human Green Lanterns, Gardner isn't the first one that comes to mind, but the character makes sense in a fun way for the upcoming film.
Why Nathan Fillion Looks As Weird As Green Lantern
Guy Gardner is a unique Green Lantern
Let's get the bowl-shaped elephant out of the way, Fillion's haircut. ONE Bowl cut has never been a flattering lookand even when it was at its peak of popularity, I think it made sense for hairdressers' convenience regarding any style. However, this haircut is a key piece of Guy Gardener's story, and evokes his sad and unforgiving childhood that led him to become a unique super person in DC Comics.
For most heroes, there are defining moments that lead them to take responsibility and become heroes. For Gardner, his defining moments were born out of trauma, sadness and neglect. Typically, this is characteristic of a villain's backstory, and Gardner very much walks the line between hero and villain. As a child, Gardner was verbally, physically, and emotionally abused by his alcoholic father, and although he was constantly bullied and beaten, his older athlete brother was praised. That led Gardner to look for idols in fictionwhere he found the General Glory comics, and began modeling his haircut after GG's companion.
I already know Fillion will be the perfect guy, Gardner
Nathan Fillion was born to play superheroes
Gardner's story is constantly underlined by drama, trauma, and being a backup. Despite wanting to be a hero and even making heroic defenses like saving his brother in a shootout which led to him being chosen as a potential Lantern, Gardner was selected only as a reserve. Hal Jordan was chosen to be the Green Lantern, and as a result, he has had missions across the universe, saving worlds, helping other people, and being praised for how great he is.
In the small glimpse of Gardner in the trailer, two things are clear; he has a chip on his shoulder and nails the look. This character isn't meant to be a pure hero, but that doesn't mean he can't be a part of the story. He may be mean, moody, overwhelmed by life and feel like he will never be able to rest, and within seconds, Fillion really delivers on this persona in a way that is immediately recognizable.. And I can't wait to see you in both Superman and the next Flashlights TV series as his interactions with characters like Hal Jordan take center stage.
Why Guy Gardner is the DCU's first Superman
Guy Gardner has been a hero for some time now
Green Lanterns are incredibly powerful superheroes who wield emotion-linked power rings to perform impossible feats. Through their will, they can manifest and create weapons and tools to help save, repair, and do incredible things. And within the DC Universe, of course Guy Gardner is around considering his advanced age and the fact that there are several other Green Lanterns. So even though Guy Gardner has a power ring, he remains a backup Lantern, not the real deal. This likely means that even though Hal Jordan is saving the universe, joining forces with other Lanterns and advancing on a galactic scale, Gardner is restricted to his home planet.
With a power ring and a deep desire to be a hero, he has likely spent the last few decades trying to protect others and being a hero, with powers that far exceed any ordinary human being. This would essentially make him the first person to be seen as a Superman on Earth, unless there were other heroes who were present and preceded Guy Gardner. But at least from what was revealed in the Superman trailer, Fillion seems like the perfect man for the role.
Upcoming DC film releases