Lanterns’ Nathan Fillion just revealed the one comic book moment that turned Guy Gardner into the someone fans love to hate. The actor broke down Gardner’s traumatic origin and explained why he believes the character has lasting damage from it.
Nathan Fillion on Lanterns’ return and Guy Gardner’s DCU history
Nathan Fillion returned as Guy Gardner in Lanterns Episode 6 after missing the first five episodes. In an interview with Variety, Fillion discussed Gardner’s comic book history and what shaped the character’s abrasive personality. He also revealed how he approached the role’s tonal shift from Superman to the grounded HBO series.
Fillion explained that Gardner’s jerk persona stems from deep-rooted insecurity and personal trauma. “He was at one point passed up, the way he was raised, his relationship with his father wasn’t tremendous,” Fillion told Variety. “So he has this need to prove himself. He’s fearless in that way.”
The actor also pointed to a pivotal moment from the comics that defines Gardner’s DCU history. Gardner suffered a bus accident and fell into a coma, which fundamentally altered his behavior and personality. “The coma is what flipped that switch for Guy Gardner,” Fillion said. “I think he has a little bit of brain damage.” That traumatic event essentially made Gardner both reckless and fearless enough to wield a Green Lantern ring.
Fillion addressed his concern about maintaining character consistency across different DC projects. “I knew there was going to be a shift in tone. What I didn’t want was for there to be a shift in the character himself,” he said. He compared it to being the same person but having very different weekends in Metropolis versus Gotham.
Gardner will next appear in Man of Tomorrow, James Gunn’s 2027 sequel to Superman. Fillion teased a deeper exploration of the Green Lantern community within that film. “It delves one club deeper than the rest of, let’s call them the Justice Gang,” he said. He has also recorded voiceover work for the animated series Mister Miracle.