In summary:
- Tech Advisor reports that HBO Max’s new “Lanterns” series transforms the Green Lantern franchise into a grounded murder mystery set in small-town Nebraska.
- Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre star as veteran Hal Jordan and rookie John Stewart, intergalactic cops investigating earthbound crimes with True Detective-style storytelling.
- The series features an ensemble cast including Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner and aims to appeal to both newcomers and comic fans within DC’s rebooted universe.
After appearing as a side character in several TV series and a 2011 standalone (yet disastrous) movie, Green Lantern will get a new chance to shine. A superhero crime series called Lanterns is heading to HBO Max as part of the rebooted DC film universe – and the first trailer is already out.
The showrunner for Lanterns is Chris Mundy, Emmy nominee for Ozark and co-executive producer of True Detective season 4. He’s writing the script with Damon Lindelof, co-creator of Lost and Emmy winner for the Watchmen TV series, and Tom King, a renowned comic book writer. The trio serve as executive producers, along with James Hawes, director of Slow Horses season 1. Hawes will also direct the first two episodes of Lanterns.
If you want to know what to expect from the new DC series, read on.
Who is the Green Lantern superhero?
Green Lantern is a moniker used by several DC superheroes.
Alan Scott, the first hero under that alias, was introduced in 1940 by Martin Nodell and Bill Finger. Scott was a railroad engineer who came by a magical green lantern – he used the powerful artefact to charge a unique ring that gave him various superpowers. The series was, however, cancelled after World War II due to the decline in the popularity of comic books.
In 1959, Green Lantern was resurrected by Julius Schwartz, who reinvented the superhero, giving him a new name and backstory. Hal Jordan, whose appearance was based on actor Paul Newman, was a former fighter pilot who was given the magic ring by a dying alien. He was the founding member of the Justice League, and a leader of an intergalactic police force called the Green Lantern Corps.
However, in the 1980s, Hal descended into madness and transformed into a villain called Parallax. After sacrificing himself to save the Solar System, he became the incarnation of Spectre, a divine entity. In the following decades, Jordan returned as Green Lantern in various DC comics miniseries.
Other incarnations of Green Lantern were Guy Gardner, who appeared in 1968, and John Stewart, who was brought to life in 1971 as one of the first black superheroes. Gardner was Hal Jordan’s replacement as Green Lantern and, what’s curious, in the 1980s, became a pastiche of the ultra-macho American male. Stewart, a veteran U.S. Marine, was chosen as Hal’s replacement after Guy Gardner suffered a serious accident.
In the 1990s, the alias Green Lantern was taken over by Kyle Rayner, a freelance comic book artist who remained in that position until the mid-2000s. Subsequent incarnations of the superhero include Simon Baz, the first Middle-Eastern member of the Green Lantern Corps; Jessica Cruz, the first female Green Lantern; Sojourner Mullein; and Keli Quintela, a teen Lantern.
Who is the main character of the Lanterns series?
The series’ creators had to choose from many superheroes acting under the alias of Green Lantern. They decided on Hal Jordan and John Stewart. However, the series also features Guy Gardner, who was introduced in the Superman movie that premiered in July 2025.
When will Lanterns be released?
DC announced that the new detective series will premiere on HBO Max in August 2026, a little later than expected. Lanterns will consist of eight episodes.
Who is starring in Lanterns?
Hal Jordan, Green Lantern on the brink of retirement, will be portrayed by Kyle Chandler, known from The Wolf of Wall Street and Argo, among others. As Chris Mundy, the showrunner, said (via Vanity Fair):
Kyle has that quality in spades. He’s been so ridiculously good in so many things. He’s also very funny, in a dry wit way, which is important for the character. He’s perfect for the part, and he’s going to make us all look really good, basically.
Aaron Pierre, who starred in Rebel Ridge and Foe, has been cast as John Stewart, a trainee expected to be the next Green Lantern after Jordan’s retirement. The showrunner stated:
Aaron is a serious theater actor, yet he also looks like he was built in a lab to be an action star. Those two qualities spoke to me. He’s an extremely thoughtful performer with a huge range and the ability to be many things at once, which you need for John Stewart.
The cast also features:
- Kelly McDonald as Sheriff Kerry
- Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, another Green Lantern
- Garret Dillahunt as cowboy William Macon
- Jason Ritter as Billy Macon, Kerry’s husband and William’s son
- Poorna Jagannathan as Stewart’s love interest Zoe
- Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro, a villain who was once a member of Green Lantern Corps and Hal’s mentor
- Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette, John Stewart’s mother
- Sherman Augustus as John Sr., John Stewart’s father
- Chris Coy as Waylon Sanders, a mysterious, possibly supernatural character
- Cary Christopher as Noah, a gifted small-town kid
What is the plot of Lanterns?
Not much is known about the plot of the new DC series, except that it will cover the investigation into a murder case in Nebraska.
The logline for the series reads:
Lanterns follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.
Superhero plot aside, it sounds like a description of the next season of True Detective. After the success of neo-noir The Penguin, creating another grounded story would be a smart move from Warner Bros. After all, it also worked for Marvel’s Daredevil and Punisher.
Apparently, the series’ creators were inspired by more than just True Detective. As DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran mentioned, Lanterns will also feature a pinch of Slow Horses, a British spy series:
You know, we are incredibly fortunate to have Tom, Chris and Damon at the helm. Those guys are just masters. And, you know, Aaron Pierre, magnificent, Kyle Chandler, amazing. We really, really are lucky. And James Hawes is directing it. You know that first season of Slow Horses was incredible television, and he’s bringing all of his skills to the table, so we’re feeling good.
This approach may be meant to distance the series from the 2011 film Green Lantern, starring Ryan Reynolds. The infamous production is considered one of the worst superhero movies ever made, partly due to the horrible CGI used to create the extraterrestrial worlds and the hero’s green costume.
HBO Max
Showrunner Chris Mundy explained that Lanterns will target comic book fans and viewers unfamiliar with Green Lantern lore (via Vanity Fair):
Our Lanterns have the rings and all the power they bring, and other characters and aspects of the lore are going to show up or be name-checked. But it’s a series that explores who these guys are when they’re on the job and when they’re out of uniform. It’s designed to be accessible for people who don’t know the mythology, but hopefully really satisfying for people that know it backwards and forwards.
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Author: Weronika de Oliveira, Entertainment Writer, Tech Advisor
Weronika is an Entertainment Writer at Tech Advisor, where she covers topics related to TV shows, streaming, and movies. With an MA degree in Film Studies, her areas of expertise range from classical and postmodern cinema to contemporary films, series, and pop culture.