The Lanterns trailer wasn’t supposed to be released until tomorrow, but after it was shared on YouTube early, the sneak peek has touched down and received a mixed-to-negative response from DC fans.<\/p>\n
We’ve been told from the start that DC Studios’ take on the Green Lantern franchise would be a grounded murder mystery in the same vein as True Detective. Still, many are understandably upset that there’s not so much as a hint at this being anything close to an epic space opera.<\/p>\n
There have been rumblings in the past\u00a0about HBO not necessarily wanting these DC Studios TV shows on the cable network. So, it’s\u00a0possible that the more comic book-y elements, like the\u00a0Guardians of Oa and Green Lantern constructs, are being kept under wraps for now.<\/p>\n
There’s not a single shot of Hal Jordan or John’s powers on display, aside from a brief moment with the former taking flight. We do, however, get to see a Green Lantern Power Battery.<\/p>\n
Is DC Studios making a mistake by not embracing the comics? The shadow of 2011’s Green Lantern still looms large, and a change was needed. We also can’t discount the possibility that Lanterns ends in a way that allows a future story to be more in line with the comic books (adapting storylines like “The Sinestro Corps War” and “Blackest Night”).<\/p>\n
Lanterns\u00a0showrunner\u00a0Chris Mundy has\u00a0described the upcoming HBO series as\u00a0“as much of a buddy cop show as a superhero show.”\u00a0<\/strong>However, that means Hal (Kyle Chandler) and Aaron Pierre’s John will butt heads.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Our show is in a lot of ways about replacement\u2014when should someone step aside and when is it time for the next person to take the reins?”\u00a0<\/strong>Mundy revealed.\u00a0“That push and pull between those two characters is really important. So much of the power that John has is by not taking the bait, understanding that you lose your power if you\u2019re yelling and screaming.”<\/strong><\/p>\n “That\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to convey: He knows he belongs, so he doesn\u2019t have to overcompensate. There\u2019s a real balance there that\u2019s just innately inside of Aaron. He\u2019s big,”<\/strong>\u00a0the showrunner, who counts\u00a0True Detective\u00a0and\u00a0Ozark\u00a0among his credits, continued.\u00a0“He\u2019s an intimidating presence just physically. But there\u2019s a softness to him, too. There\u2019s a thoughtfulness. You can\u2019t teach that.”<\/strong><\/p>\n Lanterns\u00a0follows 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.<\/p>\n Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country) is\u00a0serving as showrunner and executive producer and will write\u00a0Lanterns\u00a0with\u00a0Damon Lindelof (Watchmen) and comic book scribe Tom King (Supergirl). The cast includes Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, and\u00a0Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Nicole Ari Parker, Jason Ritter, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and\u00a0Jasmine Cephas Jones round out the cast.<\/p>\n Lanterns\u00a0is set to premiere on HBO in 2026.<\/p>\n UPDATE: <\/strong>The trailer has now been officially released. You can watch it below.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n You manifested it early. The official #Lanterns<\/a> teaser is here. Coming this August. pic.twitter.com\/ZZ0J4RSmOZ<\/a><\/p>\n
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\n\u2014 HBO Max (@hbomax) March 4, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n