When Does John Stewart Get His Ring in ‘Lanterns’?

Anyone who tuned into ‘Lanterns‘ expecting a straightforward origin story for John Stewart just got a massive curveball. Episode 5 of the HBO Max series finally answers the question fans have been asking since Guy Gardner showed up in ‘Superman’ wearing the ring instead, and the reveal is far more emotional than anyone expected.

The core subject of this episode is not John Stewart’s rise, but his refusal. Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart rejects the opportunity to become Earth’s Green Lantern, which is a major twist for a show that was ostensibly building toward exactly that outcome. It’s a gut punch for longtime comic fans who expected a triumphant coronation.

Why John Stewart Rejects the Green Lantern Ring

The betrayal at the center of Episode 5 traces back to the Guardians of the Universe and their manipulation of both Hal Jordan and John Stewart. John Stewart refused to work for the manipulative Guardians of the Universe after a violent encounter with the Manhunter, leaving Earth without a Green Lantern protector.

The emotional core of the confrontation comes when Stewart faces Lianna, the Guardian played by Laura Linney. After realizing she lied to and manipulated him throughout the entire mission, and likely his whole life, John Stewart chooses against taking the power ring and tells the Guardians he won’t do the job for them. He tells her that Hal betrayed everything to keep the ring, breaking himself in the process, and that neither of them even remembers why they wanted it anymore.

That confrontation didn’t come out of nowhere. The Guardian Lianna suggested raising baby John Stewart to lose all fear so he would be chosen as Earth’s next Green Lantern, leading to a traumatic childhood where his parents essentially tortured him with tasks designed to weed out fear, including shooting apples off his head. Once Stewart understands the full scope of that manipulation, walking away becomes less a twist and more an inevitability.

How Guy Gardner Ends Up With the Power Ring Instead

With Stewart out of the picture, the door opens for one of the DCU’s most chaotic characters to take his place. The Guardians then turned to Guy Gardner as their next choice for Earth’s sector, and his presence in ‘Peacemaker’ and ‘Superman’ within the DCU confirms the arrangement continued for years.

The physical act of rejection is staged with real weight. John meets Lianna in a bar, delivers Zoe’s heart as proof she was the Manhunter, calls it ‘your sins, and consequences,’ and then turns his back on both Lianna and the Green Lantern mantle, literally leaving the Power Ring on the table. It’s a striking image for a series that has spent five episodes building toward Stewart claiming that exact ring.

Interestingly, the ring itself may not simply sit and wait for Guy Gardner to pick it up. The ring shown in the final shot of Episode 5 looks noticeably different from the one Nathan Fillion’s Gardner has worn in his appearances so far, suggesting there is more story left before Gardner ever puts it on.

What This Means for the 2026 Timeline and Hal Jordan’s Murder

‘Lanterns’ has always split its narrative between two eras, and Episode 5 marks a turning point between them. Episode five closed the book on the 2016 storyline, and the promo for episode six confirms the next chapter shifts to 2026, meaning the series can finally return to solving Hal Jordan’s murder.

That murder mystery kicked off the entire series in its premiere. The show premiered on HBO and HBO Max on August 16, 2026, and its first episode ended with John Stewart and Sheriff Kerry discovering Hal Jordan dead on football bleachers in Rushville, Nebraska, with a bullet wound to his head and his Green Lantern ring missing from his finger.

That missing ring detail now carries much more weight. The show shifts to the 2026 storyline where John Stewart investigates Hal Jordan’s mysterious death, with the question of how Stewart will eventually reclaim the ring remaining unanswered. Given his history with the object, that investigation is likely to hit him harder than any other character on the show.

There is also a bigger picture reason to think Stewart’s story with the ring is not over. It would be shocking if the series ends without John Stewart reclaiming the ring for himself, especially since he is already confirmed to appear in ‘Man of Tomorrow’.

Critical Reaction and Fan Debate Over John Stewart’s New Origin

Not everyone is thrilled with how the show has rewritten Stewart’s comic book history. One review argued the series rewrites how Green Lanterns are chosen and gives John Stewart what it called a baffling new origin story, calling the third episode the season’s weakest to that point.

Still, the emotional stakes of the rejection have clearly landed with a lot of viewers, sparking real debate about whether Stewart made the right call. The show’s willingness to blow up expectations, first by killing Hal Jordan in the premiere and now by having Stewart refuse the ring entirely, has kept audiences guessing episode to episode rather than coasting on established lore.

With Guy Gardner’s ring looking different from the one left on that table, and Stewart now walking into 2026 with nothing but a murder to solve, ‘Lanterns’ has set up one of the more compelling slow burns in recent superhero television. Do you think John Stewart should get another shot at the ring, or has Guy Gardner already earned his place as Earth’s Green Lantern?