There are still some years from now and the day that Ezra Miller’s Flash hits the reboot button on the DC Extended Universe. Such a reboot will inevitably see Snyder’s Green Lantern and Darkseid potentially merge with, or be cancelled out by, Ava Duvernay’s interpretation and the Green Lantern series coming to HBOMax.

I am over the moon excited to know that Green Lantern is officially joining the team for the Snyder Cut (it isn’t JL without a Lantern, I’m sorry) and won’t just make a brief cameo at the end of the movie as originally thought. However, rumors have been leaning towards Hal Jordan joining the rest of the cast; I don’t think this is the way to go. John Stewart is your man and here’s why;

1: Current Lantern in the Book: I believe that if you’re trying to figure out where the studio might be headed character-wise then the comics is a great place to start collecting hints.

Since 2018, when Scott Snyder took over Justice League and relaunched the title with #1, the roster has used John Stewart as the team’s Lantern. Earlier this summer we got vol. 2 for Green Lantern: Earth One which kepts its focus on Hal but added, you guessed it, John Stewart.

We now have confirmation that the next Justice League crossover event set to launch in December, Endless Winter, will have John Stewart as a central figure to the epic story.

I want to believe that these investments in the character are evidence that there are big plans for him in live-action. This can still be the case when it comes time for the Berlanti produced original series for HBOMax! However, my fingers are still crossed for him to debut in Snyder’s highly anticpated project; especially if his universe will continue after the release of his cut.

2:2000’s Throwback: This one is very lighthearted, but for all of us who grew up in the 90’s and early 2000’s we remember who was in our JL lineup! The popularity and timespan of the animated series was so significant that some kids were confused when Hal Jordan showed up in later media! He may not be the OG but John Stewart has had a significant impact as a wielder of the green light!

3: Chadwick: On a more serious note, I feel it is necessary to touch upon the loss of the Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman. He was such a powerful performer and there is no doubt that the Marvel film he lead was a game changer.

Something that made the film so special is that it was the first of its kind; yes, Blade was the first black Marvel character to lead not one feature film but three, yet those films released in a different time and were for a different audience; adults.

This was the first real black superhero movie and the energy in theaters for this project was electric. The fact that a movie like that couldn’t be taken for granted makes the loss of this hero all the more painful.

No, I don’t think John Stewart should replace the legacy of Boseman’s Black Panther. Nor do I think he even could. What I do believe is in the midst of such loss and in the midst of such powerful movements across our country for a more equitable society, we could sure use more hero figures.

The Green Lantern Corps is literally about using your will to overcome fear and allow that will to harness the boundless potential of an emerald light to destroy evil. To see John Stewart use that ring, summon that power, and stand with the most iconic superhero team in history would be- chef’s kiss*

4: Stop the Tokens: I am happy Ray Fisher is getting the chance to show his originally intended perfomance as Cyborg in the upcoming Snyder Cut. What I don’t want to be the case is that he is the token black man on the team.

I was overjoyed to learn that Harry Lennix is indeed Martian Manhunter, but I have to be greedy; give us John Stewart as Green Lantern. That would be the DOPEST cast roster EVER. The more BIPOC characters the better.

As of right now it seems that Hal Jordan is still Snyder’s number one pick. My fingers will remain crossed for casting news to say otherwise.

The Snyder Cut does not yet have an official date for release but we can expect it some time in 2021.