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Marc Guggenheim, who co-created Arrow, has revealed concept art and story details for a canceled HBO Max Green Lantern series that was developed under the working title Emerald Knights. According to TVLine’s report on his Substack disclosure, the earlier version was planned as a cosmic adventure with Finn Wittrock as Guy Gardner, and it shares some subject matter with the later HBO series Lanterns. The two are different productions. Emerald Knights was an earlier project that did not become Lanterns, and the reporting does not describe Lanterns as a continuation or remake of it.
What Guggenheim revealed
Guggenheim shared the material on Substack, and TVLine reported on the disclosure. The most useful detail is the one he gave about the project’s structure and villains. In TVLine’s account, he is quoted as saying: “Our original took place in two time periods and had the Manhunters as the primary villains and my original title pitch was ‘Emerald Knights.'” That single statement establishes three things: the series was built around two eras, the Manhunters were the planned main antagonists, and Emerald Knights was the working title rather than a final name.
The disclosure included concept art. The reporting describes it as showing Lanterns fighting aliens with green construct weapons, along with an early costume for Gardner. Everything described here comes from Guggenheim’s own posts as relayed by reporters. None of it has been confirmed by HBO or DC, and no one reporting on it has claimed to have seen the finished work.
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The two eras and the actors attached
GamesRadar+ reports that the story was split between two principal eras: 1941, centered on Alan Scott, and 1984, centered on Guy Gardner. According to the same report, Jeremy Irvine was attached to play Scott and Finn Wittrock was attached to play Gardner. Attachment means the actors were in discussions or contracted for the roles at the time of the project’s development. It does not mean the roles were ever filmed.
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Alan Scott in 1941
The 1941 thread follows Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern. The reporting gives little detail about this storyline beyond its setting and its casting, so it is not possible to say how it connected to the 1984 thread or how the two were resolved.
Guy Gardner in 1984
The 1984 thread centers on Guy Gardner. One report says the costume concept for Gardner would have been adjusted toward his look from Justice League International, the comics era in which he was most widely known. The early costume shown in the art is therefore a development version, not a final design.
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Bree Jarta and the Manhunters
A new Lantern in the 1980s storyline
GamesRadar+ reports that the project introduced a new character, Bree Jarta, described as a half-alien, half-human Lantern focused on the 1984 story. The same report says the production had not found an actor for the role. Bree Jarta should be treated as a planned character, not a cast member. The reporting also says the art for another Lantern drew on Janelle Monáe’s likeness. That is a report about artwork, not about casting, and it should not be read as a sign that Monáe was involved in the project.
The Manhunters as the main threat
Guggenheim’s quote names the Manhunters as the primary villains. The reporting does not describe how the Manhunters’ role was divided between the two eras, so the quote is the only firm statement on the antagonists.
What the concept art showed
A team battle in space
The art reportedly includes a team battle in space. That is the clearest sign of the project’s cosmic scale, and it is the main visual difference between this version and what has been described for Lanterns.
Early costumes for Gardner and Bree Jarta
The art also includes early costume concepts for Guy Gardner and Bree Jarta. These are the only costume details the reporting describes, and they are early designs. They are not presented as the final looks for any production.
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How Emerald Knights compares with Lanterns
The two projects share Green Lantern subject matter, a multi-period structure, and the Manhunters. The reporting places them in different positions on scale and focus. The table below lists only what the reporting states for each project.
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| Comparison point | Emerald Knights (canceled, earlier project) | Lanterns (HBO series) |
|---|---|---|
| Setting and scale | Cosmic ensemble, with a team battle in space shown in concept art | Earth-focused story, according to the reporting cited here |
| Time structure | Two principal eras: 1941 (Alan Scott) and 1984 (Guy Gardner) | Not stated in the reporting cited here |
| Featured Lanterns | Alan Scott, Guy Gardner, and the planned Bree Jarta | Hal Jordan and John Stewart |
| Antagonists | Manhunters, per Guggenheim’s quoted description | Not stated in the reporting cited here |
| Status | Canceled | Not covered in the reporting cited here |
The overlap is real but limited to shared elements. Matching subject matter, a multi-era setup, and the Manhunters do not mean one project was built from the other. The reporting uses the word “similarities” for this overlap and does not claim more.
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Conflicting episode numbers
Reports disagree on how many episodes were planned. GamesRadar+ says an initial pickup of 10 episodes was reduced to eight. tbreak notes that reports on the count differ. Until a primary post or a reliable production record settles the number, the most accurate statement is that the planned episode count is disputed.
Why the project was dropped
Coverage links the project’s redevelopment to the larger transition at DC Studios, which brought in James Gunn and Peter Safran. That is the context reporters offer, but no single official explanation for the cancellation has been issued by HBO or DC in the reporting available. Treat the DC Studios transition as the setting in which the project was reworked, not as a confirmed cause.
What is and is not established
- Established by the reporting: Emerald Knights was an earlier, canceled Green Lantern television project. Its planned structure covered 1941 and 1984, with Alan Scott and Guy Gardner as central figures, and the Manhunters as primary villains.
- Established by the reporting: concept art showed cosmic action and early costumes for Gardner and Bree Jarta.
- Reported but not confirmed: the casting attachments of Jeremy Irvine and Finn Wittrock, and the Monáe-inspired artwork.
- Not established: the episode count, the official reason for cancellation, and any production link between Emerald Knights and Lanterns.
Everything above comes from Guggenheim’s posts as reported by TVLine and GamesRadar+, with tbreak adding the note on conflicting episode numbers. None of it has been verified by HBO or DC.
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