While the Justice League live-action adaptation in 2017 did not set the world on fire, the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons did when they aired from 2001-04. They are still cherished today, people flock to their cast members to hear stories and, recently, Phil LaMarr reveals he just may have carried out a milestone for the John Stewart character back in 2001.
The beloved entertainer and Samurai Jack star posted the above yesterday on his personal TikTok account. He tells fans “In Blackest Night” was such an incredible episode to make, though all Justice League episodes are excellent. As well, LaMarr says the show’s guest stars like Dennis Haysbert were amazing, and, as far as he can recall, he was the first to utter some famous lines.
“I got to say the [Green Lantern Corps] oath! The Green Lantern oath on screen for I think the first time.”
While this does appear to be true — especially given the difficulty in accessing earlier media these days where streaming is king — a quick search of records proves LaMarr is mistaken here. While he does utter the oath as his character for the first time in this story, he is not the first to say the famous creed on screen in an adaptation. The “In Brightest Day…” episode of Superman: The Animated Series features Kyle Rayner uttering the line, and it is also used in the Legends of the Superheroes 1979 TV specials. Here, Green Lantern is portrayed by Howard Murphy, and the lore surrounding the character and others is played for laughs.
Fans have not mentioned this in LaMarr’s comments. For many, the post is a chance to tell the 56-year-old he was their first Green Lantern. Others are saying the John Stewart character should have been translated into film before Ryan Reynolds’ Hal Jordan in 2011, and for many, while others have had the role, only LaMarr has given it the justice it deserves to stand the test of time today.
“This is great to see, you may not have been my first Lantern, but I can definitely say you’re the best. Thank you.”
– 7yes710 (May 23, 2023)
Whether LaMarr will reprise the role remains to be seen. In recent years, he has stayed in the DC Comics family by playing Malefic J’onzz in a recurring capacity on Supergirl and, while he has popped up as different versions of Stewart in content like Superman: Red Son in 2020, the DC Animated Universe is unlikely to return for the foreseeable future. Indeed, overseer Bruce Timm has previously said it is in suspended animation but has also indicated he would do more in the continuity if asked to.