Former GreenLantern HBO Max writer Marc Guggenheim opens up about the show's major overhaul. 'My feelings about this development (or, I suppose, redevelopment) are… complex.'
Marc Guggenheim, former writer for HBO Max's upcoming Green Lantern TV series, has broken his silence about the show's recently announced overhaul. Guggenheim is a veteran writer for multiple DC shows on the CW, having co-developed Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow while also acting as a writer and executive producer for Supergirl in 2019. His work extends beyond the Arrowverse, though, having been a writer for 2011's Green Lantern film.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY In 2021, HBO Max announced it was moving forward with a new Green Lantern project, with Arrowverse creator Greg Berlanti set to spearhead the project alongside showrunner Seth Grahame-Smith. Originally casting Finn Wittrock and Jeremy Irvine as Green Lantern Corps members Guy Gardner and Alan Scott respectively, an overhaul of the series was announced this past October, with both Grahame-Smith and Guggenheim no longer attached to the project.
As the article notes, apart from co-writing what would have been the season finale, I haven’t had much to do with the series for the past year or so. Nevertheless, my feelings about this development are… complex. However, my feelings about the writing staff — Elizabeth Hunter, Sara Saedi, Pornsak Pichetshote, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Geoff Johns, Lamont Magee, Kirsten Pierre, and Jabari McDonald — are anything but.
How The New Green Lantern Can Retain Guggenheim's Ideas While the upcoming Green Lantern show will be shifting focus away from Guy and Alan, the series could still potentially utilize some Guggenheim's ideas. The group of writers involved were brought on by Guggenheim and Grahame-Smith, indicating they have a similar vision for Green Lantern as its original creators do.
While it is unfortunate that Guggenheim and Grahame-Smith won't be lending their talent to Green Lantern anymore, the show could still reflect the hard work they've done by incorporating some of their ideas into the series. Despite their leaving, having John Stewart as the show's core Green Lantern will serve the series well, acting as the first time the character has spearheaded his own TV series.