James Gunn’s 2025 Superman movie has only been filming for a few days, and set photos are already leaking online. Yesterday, Cleveland.com posted an image of David Corenswet’s Man of Steel interacting with a squirrel, rumored to be the beloved Green Lantern Ch’p.
Who is Ch’p, the Green Lantern Squirrel?
Ch’p is a member of one of the most powerful groups of heroes in the DC Universe, the Green Lantern Corps. This group is tasked with protecting the universe in sectors and counts the earth-based Green Lanterns Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner (who is also featured in Gunn’s Superman film) among its members.
Ch’p is an anthropomorphic member of the Green Lantern Corps, created by Paul Kupperberg and Don Newton for his first appearance in 1982’s Green Lantern #148. Although he strongly resembles a squirrel, Ch’p is actually an alien from the planet H’lven, which is inhabited by a number of similar sentient creatures. Interestingly, Kupperberg’s blog revealed that the Green Lantern squirrel was originally meant to look like a chipmunk, but Newton drew him so well as a squirrel that the co-creator offered no objection. He also added that Ch’p was never meant to be a joke character.
Ch’p, like his other counterparts in the GLC, is immensely formidable, possessing one of the most powerful weapons in the DC Universe: a Green Lantern ring. The ring is fueled by pure willpower and allows Ch’p to create light constructs of anything he can imagine. His ring also enables flight, automatically interprets foreign languages, and emits a protective force field that enables its wearer to survive the rigors of traveling through space.
Most importantly, Ch’p is a badass despite his humble appearance as a squirrel, regarded by many fans as one of the greatest Green Lanterns to ever wear a power ring. He was a resistance leader on his homeworld before he even joined the GLC and trained with Kilowog in the same class as Hal Jordan. He has willingly stood against some of the most terrifying villains in the galaxy and singlehandedly took out a tyrannical Superman in Injustice 2: Gods Among Us by using his power ring to disrupt the neural synapses in his brain. It just doesn’t get much better than that.
Ch’p’s Adorable Appearance Hides a Tragic Past
Once Ch’p became a Green Lantern, he was able to use his newfound powers to liberate his world from his rival, Dr. Ub’x. Afterward, his secret identity was revealed to his love interest, M’nn’e, who he eventually married.
Unfortunately, Ch’p was not able to enjoy his happiness for long. After DC’s original reality-altering epic Crisis on Infinite Earths, the courageous Green Lantern was completely forgotten by most of the inhabitants of his homeworld — including his wife, who ended up marrying his former best friend. This led to the hero squirrel relocating to Earth alongside Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and other Green Lanterns who still remembered him. This, along with the discovery that the squirrels of Earth were not as intelligent as him, led to feelings of depression and loneliness that plagued Ch’p in his later years.
Ch’p was further diluted by the arrival of Joe Staton on the Green Lantern Corps title in which he was regularly featured. The artist, known for having a more humorous style of illustration, began to depict Ch’p in a cartoony way that was a far cry from his original design. This led to the ultimate indignity as the once badass hero squirrel was killed in one of the most undignified and humiliating ways possible in 1992’s Green Lantern: Mosiac #2. In a tragedy that is still an affront to fans of the hero, Ch’p was struck and killed by a truck.
James Gunn’s Superman Could Be Another Chance for Ch’p To Shine
Although Ch’p met a disappointing end in DC Comics, his legacy still lives on in other media. He has notably appeared in Green Lantern: The Animated Series and even had a cameo in Batman: The Brave and the Bold. His appearance in GL:TAS is particularly noteworthy in that he was a recurring character who evolved from a student in the corps to a squadron leader, paying homage to his earlier prestige and status in the comics. He has also appeared in DC’s animated film universe, showing up in Green Lantern: First Flight and having another cameo appearance in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. He also appears as a summonable character in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.
Fans fondly hope that Ch’p’s potential appearance in James Gunn’s Superman (alongside Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and fellow Green Lantern Guy Gardner) will be treated with the dignity and respect the character deserves. Although there has been no official word from anyone in the know thus far, we can only hope that the Man of Steel kneeling to speak to the squirrel presumed to be our favorite Green Lantern hero is a reflection of the respect Ch’p could receive in the rest of the film.
James Gunn’s Superman is scheduled to release in theaters on July 11, 2025.
Published: Jul 6, 2024 05:51 pm