HBO has officially greenlit Lanterns, the highly anticipated live-action Green Lantern series that promises to illuminate the DC Universe like never before. Set to premiere in early 2026, this eight-episode thriller will follow iconic Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart as they tackle a dark, earthbound mystery in the American heartland-think True Detective meets intergalactic law enforcement. With showrunner Chris Mundy and executive producers Damon Lindelof and Tom King at the helm, Lanterns is poised to be the first live-action series from James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Studios slate, marking a bold new chapter for the Green Lantern Corps on screen.
Forget what you knew about the proposed big-budget Green Lantern show, which would be very little, because since 2019 there’s been next to nothing spoken about it. Now called Lanterns, the series “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.” Earth-based? I guess it’s true, Mogo doesn’t socialize.
The new series comes from a crack team of TV pros: Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country) is set as showrunner and executive producer. Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers, Lost) and famed comics writer Tom King (Mister Miracle, Supergirl) are co-writing the new series with Mundy, as well as executive producing.
In 2019, Greg Berlanti of Green Arrow and The Flash fame announced as the producer of an HBO Max Green Lantern series, promising that it would “be our biggest DC show ever made.” One streaming service rebrand and a restructuring at DC Entertainment later, and the promise is an entirely different show in 2024, now with the endorsement of current DC chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran.
“We’re thrilled to bring this seminal DC title to HBO with Chris, Damon and Tom at the helm,” Gunn and Safran said in a statement. “John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and LANTERNS brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with ’Superman.’”
Everything is connected. Gunn is in the middle of shooting Superman, which is due out on July 11, 2025. Meanwhile, King, who appears to become essential to the post-Zack Snyder DC movie/TV era, is one of the creatives shepherding many of the projects – including an adaptation of his own comic, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. In 2021, American Horror Story actor Finn Wittrock would appear as Guy Gardner in Berlanti’s series, but the casting doesn’t appear to have stuck – no casting is mentioned in HBO’s new press release. Gunn and Safran’s statement suggests we may meet the new Hal Jordan and John Stewart next summer. Or at least get hint of green splashed among the all the red, blue, and yellow. (Nathan Fillion is rumored to appear as Guy Gardner, which might miff Finn Wittrock.)
How will HBO’s Green Lantern series redefine the DC universe
HBO’s Lanterns is set to redefine the DC Universe by introducing a darker, more complex narrative that blends cosmic superhero action with a grounded, earthbound mystery reminiscent of True Detective. The series focuses on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two iconic Green Lanterns, as they investigate a murder in the American heartland, bringing a fresh, noir-inspired tone to the superhero genre while expanding the cosmic scope of the DCU. This approach not only deepens character development but also integrates the Green Lantern Corps more centrally into the overarching DC narrative, setting the stage for interconnected storytelling across both movies and TV shows under the new DC Studios leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran. The show’s high production values and creative team, including Damon Lindelof and Tom King, promise a sophisticated, high-quality event that elevates the Green Lantern mythos and signals a new era of ambitious, interconnected DC storytelling.
How will the dark Earth-based mystery influence Green Lantern lore
The dark Earth-based mystery in HBO’s Lanterns will influence Green Lantern lore by grounding the cosmic mythology in a gritty, real-world setting that explores the characters’ human side and their connection to Earth. This approach draws inspiration from the comic series Hard-Traveling Heroes, which focuses on Hal Jordan and John Stewart navigating complex social issues in the American heartland, adding layers of social relevance and emotional depth to the Green Lantern mythos. The mystery format allows the show to delve into the origins and motivations of Earth’s Green Lanterns, highlighting why humans uniquely resonate with the power rings, a question recently explored in the comics where Earth is revealed to have a hidden Central Power Battery and a special role in the Corps. This narrative choice not only enriches the lore by linking Earth’s Green Lanterns to a deeper cosmic secret but also sets the stage for a more nuanced, character-driven story that expands the Corps’ mythology beyond space opera into a thriller rooted in human drama and mystery.
