'Lanterns' co-creator Damon Lindelof apologizes for 'dumb joke' that upset DC fans and a comics icon

“Lanterns” co-creator Damon Lindelof is mounting the grounds straight: “Green is f— awesome.”

The prolific TV writer, who is an enforcement shaper connected the upcoming HBO Max superhero drama, addressed the backlash against comments helium antecedently made astir the Green Lantern show’s rubric successful a lengthy apology posted to Instagram connected Monday.

“I made a dumb gag connected a drama podcast,” the “Lost” showrunner wrote successful the caption accompanying a photograph of him wearing a precise greenish T-shirt with the Green Lantern awesome astatine his archetypal Comic-Con appearance. “I’m not going to bob and weave astir context, the gag was dumb, the fandom is not. I beryllium them an mentation and a genuine reflection of my existent feelings.”

The gag successful question was made during his quality connected a 2024 occurrence of “Pod Save America” co-host Jon Lovett’s “Lovett oregon Leave It” podcast. “It’s called ‘Lanterns’ due to the fact that we each agreed that the ‘Green’ was stupid,” Lindelof said erstwhile the big brought up the upcoming TV show.

These remarks were resurfaced precocious aft the archetypal “Lanterns” teaser was released earlier this period and immoderate fans noticed a deficiency of green. The uproar gained capable steam that adjacent comic publication large Grant Morrison noticed. Morrison, the writer of a Green Lantern comics bid from 2018 to 2021, past addressed the concern successful a Sunday Substack station calling Lindelof retired straight and questioning wherefore helium adjacent took the “Lanterns” job.

“Why does a writer connect himself to this benignant of communicative if helium thinks it’s fundamentally ‘stupid’?” wrote Morrison. “What is this jockish dismissal of superhero conventions intended to beryllium anyway? Does Lindelof ideate it makes him look little nerdy? ... The lone radical who springiness a [f—] astir the ‘Lanterns’ TV bid are Green Lantern fans. Why alienate them astatine the start? That feels much similar ‘stupid.’”

Lindelof acknowledged Morrison’s disapproval and owned up to his faux pas earlier sharing conscionable however overmuch Hal Jordan — 1 of the Green Lanterns who volition beryllium featured successful the bid — meant to him increasing up.

“For a quiet, uncoordinated kid, determination was thing cooler than a leader whose superpower was his imagination,” Lindelof wrote successful his societal media apology. “And greenish is not stupid, it is my lifelong favourite colour and I person a questionnaire that I filled retired successful 3rd people to beryllium it.”

“More importantly, it would beryllium a betrayal to everyone I worked for and alongside to accidental thing different than I was perfectly honored to beryllium a portion of the squad that manifested the unthinkable conception that is Lanterns … due to the fact that it was,” helium added. “I was sloppy and careless with my words, ironic considering I attraction truthful overmuch astir Hal, John and the full Corps. I tin and volition bash amended to beryllium worthy of the oath. … [U]ntil then, I’ll fto the amusement talk for itself and I can’t hold for you each to perceive what it has to say.”

Among those sending Lindelof immoderate emotion successful the comments of his Instagram station were “Superman” histrion Nathan Fillion, whose Green Lantern Corps subordinate Guy Gardner is acceptable to look successful “Lanterns,” arsenic good arsenic DC Studios brag James Gunn.

“The gag was funny. No harm, nary foul! Keep up the large work, we admit you!” wrote Fillion, who included a greenish mitt emoji successful his message. Gunn was much succinct, showing his enactment with conscionable a greenish bosom emoji.

“Lanterns,” astir superpowered intergalactic cops, volition travel caller enlistee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and seasoned Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) arsenic they analyse a murder. Co-created by Lindelof, Tom King and showrunner Chris Mundy, the bid volition premiere successful August.