DC gives the Green Lantern Hal Jordan a significant appearance change just in time for his co-lead role in the DCU’s Lanterns series. Although Green Lantern is a title many DC heroes share, it’s also a lifelong staple of the Justice League and the DC Universe as a whole. No DC timeline is complete without at least a passing mention of the Green Lantern Corps or one of their members.

Unfortunately, Green Lantern’s prominence has been on a steady decline for over a decade. The Ryan Reynolds-led Green Lantern movie was famously a disappointment, the Green Lanterns had an extremely limited influence on the DCEU, and The CW’s Arrowverse ended before it could tackle its Green Lantern storylines. Come the mid-2020s, and James Gunn’s DCU is turning things around for the Corps.

Following Nathan Fillion’s debut as Guy Gardner in James Gunn’s Superman, the DCU’s Lanterns show is set to place John Stewart and Hal Jordan back in the spotlight.

DC Comics’ Hal Jordan Gets A Beard Just In Time For The DCU’s Lanterns Show

Emperor Aquaman #18; Written by Jeremy Adams; Art & Cover by John Timms; Variant Covers by Nathan Szerdy & Stephanie Hans and Bruka Jones

Aquaman has never been so powerful in DC lore, wielding the full power of the Blue and commanding the full extent of the oceans as DC’s Emperor Aquaman. Yet, the King of the Seven isn’t invincible. Although Arthur Curry is at the height of his power and personal success at the moment, there will be big enough threats to leave him on the edge of death. In Emperor Aquaman #18, releasing June 10, Arthur Curry is beaten by an unknown enemy and imprisoned alongside Hal Jordan, who now sports a beard.

“Aquaman finds himself trapped in a mysterious prison, only to find out he’s not the only one there—Hal Jordan joins him in a jailbreak among the stars! A union between the lost Green Lantern and the Emperor to the stars points the way toward a major sea change for the DC Universe!”

Defeating Hal Jordan and Aquaman is no small feat, and managing to tie them up and imprison them is something very few DC villains can do, as Hal could technically free himself a million different ways and Aquaman could snap his chains with no effort. Since Hal is bearded and clearly beaten up but still costumed, there has to be something more sinister at play than simply a very strong villain. Even in their fiercest of battles, it’s not common to see a Green Lantern wearing a tattered costume.

Hal Jordan’s Veteran Days Are Long Overdue

A Bearded, Grey-Haired Hal Jordan Would Be A Great Addition To The Current DC Universe

Like most characters in the comic book medium, all Justice League heroes are trapped in a cycle of eternal youth. However, Hal Jordan is one of the few JLA icons whose evolution into a silver-haired veteran makes more sense. Having been a hotshot pilot, a cosmic mass murderer, the Spectre’s host, and eventually a reborn hero, Hal Jordan has completed every possible arc. Allowing him to age would finally provide a sense of consequence to his decades of service.

Related

Man Of Tomorrow’s Green Lantern Reveal Completes A 86-Year-Old DC Movie Dream

The DCU’s trajectory for the Green Lanterns can finally achieve a decades-long fan dream after what feels like eons of it seeming just on the horizon.

Hal Jordan’s evolution into a veteran mentor is also necessary for the health of the Green Lantern franchise. The spotlight has been split between a half-dozen terrestrial Lanterns, which often leaves fan-favorites like Kyle Rayner falling by the wayside. Hal Jordan’s official retirement would allow Kyle, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, and Simon Baz to lead the frontline without Hal’s shadow looming over every major conflict. This change would synergize with James Gunn’s DCU, where Kyle Chandler’s seasoned and weary Hal Jordan is tasked with mentoring a younger John Stewart in the HBO Lanterns series.

Hal’s veteran status would also offern an opportunity to bridge the gap between him and Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern of the Golden Age. Historically, DC has overlooked Alan Scott’s potential as the ultimate veteran of the Green Lanterns, but pairing a grizzled Hal with an immortal Alan could establish a dual-generational pillar of wisdom that the DC Universe currently lacks. Instead of keeping Hal on an indefinite loop of similar stories, his elder mentor role would allow him to pass on his hard-earned lessons to the new generation of Green Lanterns.

Would you like to see Hal Jordan age out of his Green Lantern duties?

Emperor Aquaman #18 is available from DC Comics on June 10, 2026.

Alias

Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, Sojourner Mullein

Created By

Martin Nodell, Bill Finger, John Broome, Gil Kane, Dennis O’Neil, Neal Adams

First Appearance

All-American Comics

Alliance

Justice League, Justice Society of America, Green Lantern Corps

Franchise

D.C.