LANTERNS Just Introduced a Major Green Lantern Character Nobody Expected

Lanterns just pulled off a surprise DCU debut that nobody saw coming, introducing Carol Ferris without any casting announcement or advance tease.

Amie MacKenzie, known for appearances in Better Call Saul and Monster, made her debut as Carol during Hal Jordan’s funeral preparations, giving us our first glimpse at the DCU version of a character with a huge history in Green Lantern comics.

The reveal also fills in another piece of Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan and the life he lived before the events of Lanterns.

Chandler's version of the character entered the DCU as a veteran superhero who had already spent decades wearing the ring. That creative choice means a lot of his comic book history happened before we met him, including his connection to Abin Sur.

Carol Ferris can now be added to that list. She arrives after Sheriff Kane contacts her about Hal's funeral, where she meets John Stewart.

Carol describes what she and Hal shared simply as “history,” but another comment says considerably more about their relationship: “The only friendship that stuck was the one on his finger.”

It's a pretty harsh summary of Hal's life, but it fits the man Lanterns has shown us. Hal lived a lonely existence, and his commitment to being a Green Lantern appears to have come at the expense of some important relationships.

Carol and Hal clearly had a past together in the DCU, although the series doesn't explain how serious their relationship became or exactly why it ended.

Carol also arrives carrying the eulogy Hal wrote for himself and asks John to read it at the funeral. Before leaving, she shows just how well she understood Hal when she tells John: “I bet he liked you, John, and I also bet he never said it.”

It's a small scene, but it's a nice character moment that adds another layer to Hal after his death. Of course, Carol Ferris carries considerably more baggage in DC Comics than simply being Hal Jordan's former romantic partner.

The two have had an on-again, off-again relationship for decades, while Carol eventually became Star Sapphire, connecting her to the violet light of love and the larger Emotional Spectrum mythology.

Lanterns doesn't give us any indication that this Carol has already become Star Sapphire. Based on what we've seen, her relationship with Hal appears to have ended long before the series began, and there's currently nothing suggesting she's had her comic book transformation.

That doesn't necessarily mean Star Sapphire is off the table. Introducing Carol Ferris at all gives the DCU another character it can return to whenever James Gunn and company decide to expand the Green Lantern mythology.

With Sinestro, the Guardians, Manhunters and other pieces of Lantern lore already part of this universe, Carol's arrival gives the franchise another familiar name to play with.

Her appearance could also simply be exactly what it looks like: a brief cameo meant to tell us more about Hal. There's no guarantee MacKenzie will return after this episode, particularly considering how short her appearance is. Still, Lanterns has two episodes remaining, and Hal Jordan's story may not be finished either.

Despite viewers seeing a body in a casket, theories continue to circulate that Hal isn't actually dead. If the series has another trick waiting for us, Carol's introduction suddenly becomes even more interesting.

For now, Lanterns has officially brought Carol Ferris into the DCU. Whether she eventually puts on a Star Sapphire ring is another question entirely.