Damon Lindelof on Why Hooded Justice Became Integral to Watchmen

Hooded Justice was just one of the side characters in the original Watchmen comic, but he found himself to be an integral part of the HBO show by Damon Lindelof. Lindelof talks a bit about his fascination with the character and how he ended up being so important in the 2019 world of Watchmen.

Talking to Vulture, Lindelof explained, "When I read the original Watchmen, the thing that I was completely and totally obsessed with was Hooded Justice. I would talk to other people with familiarity about Watchmen, and I'd go, ‘I like that they never told us who Hooded Justice was,' and they'd look at me like, ‘Who?' And I'd be like, ‘You know, Hooded Justice? He's one of the original Minutemen,' and their eyes would glaze over. I was like, ‘Oh, okay, nobody else cares about this thing.' But that obsession became the foundation for this season of Watchmen."

It's great that Hooded Justice should be mysterious in the original Watchmen, seeing as it allowed Lindelof the freedom to do with the character as he pleases. With the lack of black characters in the original comic, it's kind of great to think that the very first superhero in the universe is actually black, and his motivation is nothing less than realistic.

For now, it looks like the arc of the character is finally closed, but I'm sure HBO is going to look for a second season of Watchmen. I personally think it would be great as a limited series, and fiddling with it further might just ruin the tight narrative. Then again, if Lindelof is confident enough to push forward with the story, I trust his judgment.

No second season has been announced for HBO's Watchmen.

Read Also: Damon Lindelof on the Ambiguity of the Watchmen Finale