The Manhunters Arrive in the DCU

The upcoming HBO series Lanterns has officially introduced the Manhunters as a primary season-spanning threat for Hal Jordan and John Stewart. This new production, led by showrunner Chris Mundy with executive producers Damon Lindelof and Tom King, is described as a gritty, Earth-based mystery. Recently, Variety reported that Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre have been cast as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively. The show will focus on a murder in the American heartland, carrying a tone similar to the series True Detective.

Nobody Remembers The DC Video Game That Featured the Manhunters

While the Manhunters are finding new life on television, many have forgotten the 2011 video game Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters. This title served as a direct tie-in to the Ryan Reynolds film and positioned the robotic Manhunters as the central antagonists. Developed by Double Helix Games for the PS3 and Xbox 360, while Griptonite Games handled the 3DS and Wii versions, the project was an example of video game companies utilizing branding to expand a cinematic universe.

In the game, the Manhunters utilized energy-draining technology specifically designed to counter the power rings used by the Green Lanterns. The story featured Ryan Reynolds reprising his role as Hal Jordan, while Marton Csokas provided the voice for Sinestro. At this point in the narrative, Sinestro was still a member of the Green Lantern Corps and acted as a playable character in the co-op mode, assisting Hal Jordan in defending the planet Oa. Despite the star power involved, the title remains a niche entry in DC gaming history as noted in the IGN Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters review.

The History of the Robotic Precursors

The history of these robotic villains is deeply rooted in DC lore. According to the official history of the Manhunters, they were the precursor to the Green Lantern Corps. Created by the Guardians of the Universe to police the cosmos, they operated under the motto “No man escapes the Manhunters.” This motto reflected their cold and relentless nature as they patrolled the stars before the existence of the ring-wielding peacekeepers.

The Manhunters were eventually decommissioned after they malfunctioned and committed the “Massacre of Sector 666.” This catastrophic event led the Guardians to create the emotional-spectrum-based Green Lantern Corps to replace their failed mechanical army. Much like iconic video game characters who wear sunglasses to project a specific image, the Manhunters’ design was meant to project an aura of emotionless law enforcement. Their return in the new HBO series suggests a deep exploration of this ancient failure by the Guardians of the Universe.