Lanterns Forced Another HBO Show to Change Its Plot, and It Was for the Best

Published Sep 18, 2026, 11:34 AM EDT Stuart Fails to Save the Universe wanted to use Green Lantern but got someone better Photo: John Johnson/HBO Max Sign in to your Polygon.com account The Big Bang Theory spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe has been one of the most unexpected shows of the year. A side character from the original sitcom now leads a multiversal dark comedy on HBO, and it continues to go to wild places with each new episode. Most recently, that meant Gotham City. While the cast was stuck in the DC universe, the Flash came to the rescue, but that wasn't originally the plan. Based on the episode's title, "Spoiler: We Couldn't Get Green Lantern," you may be able to guess what other DC hero the showrunners originally wanted. That was a hard no, said series co-creator Zak Penn, who shared with Deadline that "they told us we couldn't have him because of Lanterns." So Green Lantern was out for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. Of course, audiences can see two versions of the character (Hal Jordan and John Stewart) in action in HBO's Lanterns right now. DC was still willing to help, says Penn, outside the stipulation that "we won't give you Green Lantern," and that is how the Flash entered. Penn says that the silliness of the Golden Age version of the character appealed to the team, so he became the perfect fit for the show. While there is only one episode left of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe in the season, it has already been renewed at HBO, and Penn "would be shocked" if the writers don't include DC universe tidbits in the future. What will happen in the last few episodes of Lanterns? As for the HBO show that actually has Green Lantern in it, Lanterns is also getting close to ending. There are only three episodes left, and the show is finally getting back to the massive episode-one cliffhanger of Hal Jordan being dead in 2026. With John Stewart having returned Hal's ring to the Guardians but refusing to take up the mantle, the stage is set for a fascinating murder mystery. The mid-season trailer also teased that we will see a lot more of Kyle Chandler as Jordan. A third lantern will also be making an appearance, as it has been confirmed that Nathan Fillion will be reprising his role as Guy Gardner from Superman in at least one future episode. Who knows, maybe HBO will come up with some wild crossover between Lanterns and Stuart Fails to Save the Universe in the future, since both shows seem to be doing well.