HBO Max has released the first teaser for the upcoming original drama series Lanterns. The DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television series, starring Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre and Kelly Macdonald, is slated to debut this August only on HBO Max. Lanterns follows new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland. HBO in association with Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios.
The Lanterns pilot is co-written by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King, who are co-creators for the series. Mundy serves as showrunner. The first two episodes are directed by James Hawes, with Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel and Alik Sakharov also tapped to direct. The series is executive produced by Mundy, Lindelof, James Gunn, Peter Safran, King, Ron Schmidt and Hawes. Based on the DC comic characters from Green Lantern.
The teaser has revealed more about the tone of the show, but is still holding back anything tangible about the plot. We know that Hal will be training John into how to operate as a green Lantern. And we know that they find themselves in the American heartland investigating a small-town murder. Beyond that, the more outlandish sci-fi elements of the show haven’t been totally revealed yet, though some clever signs appear.
James Gunn has previously described the show as “really a terrestrial-based TV show, almost like True Detective with a couple of Green Lanterns who are space cops watching over precinct Earth,” and the trailer delivers exactly that. That’s a deliberate choice in part due to the long break that Green Lantern has had from live action ever since Warner Bros sidelined the character since the 2011 Ryan Reynold’s movie that was poorly received.
Every Character in the Trailer
Hal Jordan — Kyle Chandler
The elder statesman of the two leads, Hal Jordan is a former test pilot and legendary member of the Green Lantern Corps. In the DCU, Hal Jordan is older and approaching retirement, filling in to train John Stewart. A notable change from the comics where Hal and John are usually closer in age. Kyle Chandler is best known as Coach Taylor on Friday Night Lights, and the trailer already shows him bringing considerable dramatic weight to the role as well as some great comedic moments.
John Stewart — Aaron Pierre
Pierre plays John Stewart, one of the most iconic Green Lantern’s and characters in DC history, having become a fan favourite through his tremendous comics but in particular as the leading Lantern of the 2000s animated Justice League TV show. In the DCU, Stewart is new to the Green Lantern Corps at the start of the series, and Hal Jordan serves as his mentor. Pierre broke through in Netflix’s Rebel Ridge and is now leading one of HBO’s and the DCU’s most anticipated shows.
Guy Gardner — Nathan Fillion
Fillion reprises his role from Superman as Guy Gardner, a fellow member of the Green Lantern Corps and the Justice Gang. In the trailer, Hal jokes that he’s the only human Green Lantern, but clearly that will be proven false because Guy Gardner is confirmed to appear in the show. Having already appeared in Peacemaker Season 2 as well, Guy is becoming a connective thread in James Gunn’s DCU. Fillion has described Gardner as fearless but not good or nice, and he says that he dropped a huge amount of F bombs when filming his scenes for Lanterns, so we cane xpect to see a different side to him from the one in Superman, and more like him in Peacemaker.
Sheriff Kerry — Kelly Macdonald
Macdonald portrays Sheriff Kerry, a woman described as deeply devoted to her family and her small town, which becomes central to the season’s mystery. As the local law enforcement figure in the Nebraska murder investigation, Kerry is likely to be one of the more human anchor of the dramatic part of the story.
Sinestro — Ulrich Thomsen
Thomsen is set to play Sinestro, a former member of the Green Lantern Corps who has since gone rogue. Sinestro is the most significant villain in Green Lantern mythology, having been the antagonist for the 2011 film as well. His inclusion signals that while the season’s central story may be an Earth-based murder mystery, there will be cosmic stakes that potentially serve as the big twist.
Zoe — Poorna Jagannathan
Jagannathan is reportedly set to play Zoe, described as a composed and cunning woman, though her specific role in the mystery has not been disclosed.
Antaan — Paul Ben-Victor
Ben-Victor is expected to play Antaan, an extraterrestrial character described as devoted to finding the truth. His alien nature will most likely tie into how the show transforms from a seemingly small-scale Earth-based mystery to a (hopefully) larger cosmic mystery, given the themes of the Green Lantern stories.
William Macon — Garrett Dillahunt
Dillahunt’s William Macon is described as a “modern cowboy” and is reportedly positioned as one of the antagonists of the season. It remains to be seen whether his character is simply part of the murder mystery, or a large sci-fi inspired twist.
Billy Macon — Jason Ritter
Ritter is expected to appear as Billy Macon, Kerry’s husband, placing him at the intersection of the local law enforcement storyline and the Macon family, whose patriarch is reportedly one of the season’s antagonists.
Bernadette Stewart — Nicole Ari Parker
Parker has reportedly been cast as Bernadette Stewart, John’s mother, suggesting the show will tell John Stewart’s personal backstory in detail, adding to the emotional depth of him as the central character.
John Stewart Sr. — Sherman Augustus(Old Age) and J. Alphonse Nicholson (Young Age)
Augustus is expected to portray John Stewart Sr., John’s father. This again points to a substantial family storyline running through the season with John as the focal point. J Alphonse Nicholson is expected to feature as the younger version of John Senior, confirming that the show will incorporate flashback sequences.
Waylon Sanders — Chris Coy
Coy is reportedly playing Waylon Sanders, a truck driver whose real identity is described as unknown — a description that reads less like a character note and more like a plot thread. In a murder mystery, an unknown true identity is almost always a feature, not a detail.
Young Noah — Cary Christopher
Christopher is reportedly joining as a guest star playing Young Noah, described as a gifted child known for his prowess on the football field. In a show set in America’s heartland involving a murder mystery, a gifted young athlete whose fate intersects with the central investigation is a well-worn but effective dramatic device.
Mystery Character
A mystery character appears towards the end of the trailer, who is being interrogated by Hal Jordan. Given that DC Studios and HBO haven’t disclosed who he is yet, he could be integral to uncovering the deeper mystery that Hal and John are there to investigate.
Laura Linney and Paula Patton — Undisclosed Roles
Both Laura Linney and Paula Patton have reportedly been cast in the series, though their roles have not yet been disclosed. Linney is an award-winning actor, and a notable addition to the cast so it will be interested to learn who she’s playing.
Release Date and DCU Timeline
The August release date confirms that the show will premiere after Supergirl on June 26th, but before Clayface on October 23. With 8 episodes in total, that means the series finale will premiere right before Clayface hits cinemas. THat spacing is a relief, given that previously timeline had Lanterns and Clayface overlapping. With 3 releases from the DCU this year, it’s great for fans to have them spread out.
Lanterns premieres in August 2026 on HBO and HBO Max, it will run for 8 episodes in total.
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