Noah Macon Manhunter Twist Explained

“Lanterns” has wrapped up its first season with a tumultuous, tragic, and touching finale that confirmed what many fans had already guessed: Noah Macon is a Manhunter. The last episode of the season reveals that Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) was killed by his one and only love, Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald). But Noah (Shea Pritchard) being a Manhunter is arguably more consequential, as it means the DC Universe has just gained a potentially new recurring character, and one who may end up being a major villain.

“Lanterns” Episode 1 killed off Hal Jordan in a major twist that raised all sorts of questions about the DCU. Since then, the show has delivered multiple twists, most notably when Episode 4 revealed that Zoe Macon (Poorna Jagannathan) was the Manhunter. This ancient being forged by the Guardians of the Galaxy to protect the cosmos was the last of its kind. After the Manhunters meted out justice with no regard for any ethical code, the Guardians wiped out the entire race, leaving only Zoe alive.

“Lanterns” Episode 5 suggested there might be something special about her grandson, Noah. In the episode, Paul Ben Victor’s Antaan descends upon Rushville, Nebraska to kill Zoe, who prior to Antaan’s arrival tells a young Noah (Cary Christopher): “No matter what happens, don’t forget everything I’ve told you.” Clearly, Noah was much more significant than the show had been letting on, and many fans suspected he was actually a Manhunter — especially when in that same Episode, Kerry tells Hal, “You can never understand what (Zoe) gave me… a miracle” — suggesting Zoe used her advanced tech to make Kerry pregnant. Now, we know for sure. Noah is a Manhunter, but not in quite the way fans had suspected.

Hal Jordan has been dedicated to wiping out the villainous Manhunters since the beginning of “Lanterns” due to their violent past, their rebellion against the Guardians of the Universe, and their inordinate power. Zoe Macan was supposedly the last of their kind, but as the show went on, it started to seem more and more as though Noah Macon might be at least part-Manhunter. In the “Lanterns” finale, it’s confirmed that he is, in fact, all Manhunter. But there’s an interesting twist to the reveal.

Many fans were surely expecting Noah to be in all-out vengeance mode following the death of his grandmother, who died when John Stewart sniped her at the end of “Lanterns” Episode 5. What’s more, Noah is, at the end of the day, a member of a violent race of synthetic space cops who wiped out entire planets. But in a development that helps reinforce one of the show’s main themes — i.e. whether individuals can ever truly overcome their programming to do what’s right — Noah is revealed to have a conscience.

We get a sense that he might not be a purely self-interested malicious Manhunter during a scene in which John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) interrogates Thaal Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen) while the Halogram watches. When John suggests Noah could have ambushed Earth’s Green Lantern, Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and taken his ring, the Halogram starts to realize that Noah might just have a heart. “He has a conscience,” Hal says to Sinestro. “And it pisses you off.”

A flashback in the “Lanterns” finale shows how Hal Jordan’s home was set ablaze following his return to Rushville, Nebraska. We then learn Noah Macon saved him before using Manhunter technology to regenerate Hal’s body and keep him alive, reinforcing the idea that he’s able to overcome his Manhunter programming.

John Stewart says as much later, in a scene where he shares a car journey with Noah. After Noah recalls saving Hal, John says, “That’s the opposite of your programming. So, you’re not a prisoner to it.” But it seems John doesn’t quite believe his own words, and after Noah asks him to kill him, we get the sense that this Manhunter will never be able to fully transcend his true nature.

While Noah claims to have killed Hal, John quickly determines that Kerry Kane actually shot him, and confronts her. John recounts how Noah took the fall for Hal’s death. “You raised him well,” he says, before adding, “He’s scared of what he might become.” When Kerry asks what might happen if Noah gives into his worst instincts, John replies, “Then the world’s going to need somebody who can stop him.” That someone is, of course, John himself, who becomes Earth’s Green Lantern at the end of the episode. 

Now, we have a situation whereby Noah is still alive but John is on-hand to intervene if Noah gives into his “worst instincts.” Rather than taking this Manhunter spawn down, John allows him to live in the hope that, like John himself, Noah will overcome his programming. For the viewers, that means we have the start of what will surely be a long-running DC Universe relationship between John and Noah — one that could turn deadly in the future.