DCU might be looking to the future with its choice of villain in the upcoming series Lanterns. The HBO show is the next release in DC Studios’ new DCU, following Supergirl and Superman, and while the series may seem tonally distinct and separate from the main interconnected narrative, it’s putting some pieces into play that could have big ramifications for the wider DCU.
One particular piece is the inclusion of Lanterns‘ villain, confirmed to be Thaal Sinestro, played by Ulrich Thomsen. While Sinestro’s face hasn’t been revealed in Lanterns marketing yet, he’s been hinted at and is confirmed to play an important role, with Thomsen expected to appear in every episode of Lanterns.
It’s been revealed that Sinestro will be Hal Jordan’s (Kyle Chandler) former mentor in Lanterns and that his training of Hal will bring up some interesting questions for the Green Lantern. “What did Hal take away from Sinestro that was good or bad? It brings up a lot of interesting worries,” showrunner Chris Mundy teased in an interview.
While Sinestro’s inclusion in Lanterns is exciting, it’s not exactly new territory. The ex-Green Lantern, who was dishonorably discharged and subsequently formed his own fear-fuelled Yellow Green Lanterns Corp, has been seen in an adaptation before, including the Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern movie, where he was portrayed by Mark Strong. However, when considering Sinestro’s inclusion in the evolving DCU, it becomes much more significant.
In DC Comics, Sinestro is one of the Green Lanterns’ major villains, but he’s also a member of a much larger villainous team in the Legion of Doom. First introduced in the 1970s cartoon Challenge of the Superfriends, The Legion serves as an enemy to the DC superhero team, the Justice League, and has since been incorporated into further DC screen and comic projects. However, the League of Doom has not yet appeared in a live-action DC movie, and it seems Lanterns might be paving the way for it to happen in the DCU.
Is the DCU Preparing for the Legion of Doom?
Sinestro’s inclusion in Lanterns will set up one key member of the DCU, but DC Studios is already preparing to introduce several more.
The Legion’s founder, Lex Luthor, was featured in Superman in 2025, played by Nicholas Hoult. While Luthor was defeated at the hands of the Man of Steel in that film, he still has a lasting role to play and will be a key player in 2027’s Man of Tomorrow sequel. While it seems that Luthor may be forced to ally with Superman in Man of Tomorrow, that doesn’t mean he won’t still revert to his nefarious ways, and with the Superman sequel introducing more heroes into the mix than ever, it might be on Luthor to do the same by building a team of villains.
After Sinestro’s introduction in Lanterns in August, the DCU also has two more notable Legion of Doom members confirmed for the future. One is Man of Tomorrow’s main villain, Brainiac, the alien android played by Lars Eidinger. The other is Gorilla Grodd, the super-intelligent telepathic ape who is set to be introduced in the DC Studios Jimmy Olsen-focused TV show, DC Crime.
As the DCU starts to set up more villains in different corners of its cinematic universe, it seems only a matter of time before they band together under the rule of someone like Lex Luthor. Some other members from the Legion of Doom who could be introduced into the DCU’s ranks are Black Manta, Captain Cold, Cheetah, Riddler, Bizarro, and Toyman.
While cinematic universes like the MCU and the DCEU have often built toward a team of heroes in their respective franchises, like the Avengers or the Justice League, there haven’t really been live-action ensembles of villains in these universes, which would make the formation of the Legion of Doom in the DCU a real game-changer.
Spider-Man: No Way Home almost achieved this with a group of five villains from the Multiverse. Sony’s Spider-Man Universe seemed poised to build toward a Sinister Six team-up movie before it failed. Now, DC Studios has the chance to fill that gap with a group of villains in the Legion of Doom who could stand as a major challenge to the growing Justice League lineup in the DCU right now.
