Everything We Know About ‘Lanterns’ So Far

While Creature Commandos was a light start to James Gunn’s ambitious DCU plans, 2025 is when things go into high gear with the release of Superman in July, followed shortly by Peacemaker Season 2. The DCU’s 2026 is already taking shape and looking bright, thanks to Lanterns coming to HBO. The series is an adaptation of the Green Lantern mythology, a concept that the previous DCEU seemed hesitant to touch following the disastrous results of 2011’s Green Lantern.

Lanterns has assembled quite an impressive creative team, from a talented cast to an equally impressive team of writers and directors looking to put a new grounded spin on the Green Lantern concept. Lanterns might be over a year away, but a few interesting details have already been dropped. Here is everything to know about DC and HBO’s Lanterns.

Cast of Characters

Lanterns will put two of DC Comics’ most famous Green Lanterns front and center: Hal Jordan and John Stewart.

Hal Jordan will be played by Kyle Chandler, best known for playing Coach Eric Taylor on the hit series Friday Night Lights. Chandler is also known for his work in films like King Kong, Super 8, Argo, and Zero Dark Thirty, to name a few. Hal Jordan was the Green Lantern during DC’s Silver Age, and first appeared in Showcase #22 in October 1959 and was created by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane. The series describes Chandler’s Hal Jordan as a legendary Green Lantern Corps member approaching retirement.

Aaron Pierre will play John Stewart, who, in the series, is a new rookie Green Lantern, and Jordan is training to replace him. Pierre had a breakout year in 2024, with lead roles in the hit Netflix film Rebel Ridge and voicing a young Mufasa in Mufasa: The Lion King. Pierre is also no stranger to the DC Universe as he previously appeared on the Syfy series Krypton, playing the Kryptonian Dav-Em. Stewart was created by Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #87 in December 1971. He is notable as one of DC’s first African American superheroes. Stewart is the Green Lantern that audiences are most familiar with thanks to his role in the popular animated series Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.

The series will also feature two other DC Comics characters. The most notable is Ulrich Thomsen (The Blacklist) as Sinestro, the most iconic Green Lantern villain. His role in the series is much like his comic book history: a former Green Lantern who fell to the side of evil and was once the friend and mentor to Hal Jordan. After his role in Superman, Nathan Fillion will reprise his role as the Green Lantern Guy Gardner. Gardner is typically seen as the Green Lantern who is often overlooked in favor of Hal Jordan and John Stewart, so it will be interesting to see his role in the series and how big of a part he will have.

Other cast members include Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire) as Kerry, the sheriff of the town that Lanterns will take place in, and is one of the main characters of the series. Jason Ritter (Gravity Falls) will play Kerry’s husband, Billy Macon. He is the son of one of the show’s villains, William Macon, played by Garrett Dillahunt (Raising Hope). William Macon is described as a self-righteous and conspiracy-minded modern cowboy. Poorna Jagannathan has been cast as Zoe (The Night Of), rumored to be Hal Jordan’s love interest. One mysterious addition to the cast is Chris Coy (The Walking Dead), a guest star, playing a character named Waylon Sanders, a character whose true identity is seemingly unknown within the series as a mystery.

Audiences will get to see a bit of John Stewart’s backstory as his parents have been cast, with younger versions cast implying flashback sequences or even an entire episode. Nicole Ari Parker (Boogie Nights) will play Bernadette Stewart, with Jasmine Cephas Jones (Hamilton) cast as the younger version of John Stewart’s mother. Sherman Augustus (Stranger Things) will play John Stewart Sr., with J. Alphonse Nicholson (They Cloned Tyrone) playing the younger version.

What To Expect from ‘Lanterns’ Plot

Lanterns will follow Green Lantern vet Hal Jordan, who is training rookie John Stewart to investigate a murder in Nebraska. Their investigation will lead them to darker mysteries and reckonings with DC Studios presidents James Gunn and Peter Safran, saying the mystery the duo investigates will lead to the central plot of the DC Universe they are building. Lanterns is also expected to follow the events of Superman and Peacemaker Season 2. The series is not said to adapt one specific run from the comics, but will draw heavily from Green Lantern mythology.

When it was first announced in January 2023, Lanterns was described as similar in tone and vibe to True Detective, contrasting with the more intergalactic space opera that fans commonly associate with the character. Lanterns is a replacement for the previously planned Green Lantern Corps series that was being developed for Max under the original DCEU regime. The series would have featured characters like Alan Scott, Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, and Finn Wittrock as Guy Gardner. Lanterns, instead, will be a more Earth-based story and an HBO character drama.

Creative Team

Lanterns‘ showrunner is Chris Mundy, whose past credits as both a writer and producer include Ozark and True Detective, making him a perfect fit. Legendary comic writer Tom King, whose comic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is being adapted into a feature film, serves as one of the series producers. Damon Lindelof is also signed on as a producer and consultant. Lindeloff is certainly no stranger to high-profile television, as he created Lost and The Leftovers and previously adapted the DC Comic series Watchmen.

Related

‘Creature Commandos’ Is Our First Taste of the DCU, and It Does a Great Job of Setting It Up

‘Creature Commandos’ first two episodes lay the groundwork for ‘Superman’, ‘Paradise Lost’, ‘Sgt. Rock’ and many more DCU projects.

James Hawes (The Amateur) is directing the first two episodes of Lanterns and will also serve as an executive producer. Other directors signed on for the eight-episode season include Stephen Williams (Chevalier), Geeta Vasant Patel (House of the Dragon), and Alik Sakharov (Ozark).

When Will Lanterns Debut?

Lanterns (DCU)

Network

HBO

Directors

James Hawes

Writers

Tom King, Chris Munday

Franchise(s)

DC Universe

Filming for Lanterns began in February 2025 and is expected to last until July 2025. Lanterns is currently scheduled to premiere on HBO in 2026. The exact date is unclear, but DC Studios President James Gunn said it would be released close to Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which will hit theaters in June 2026. Lanterns is expected to debut first, likely aiming for a spring 2026 release date.

Lantens is part of the DCU’s Chapter 1 — Gods and Monsters. Season 1 will be eight episodes long. The series will air on HBO and stream on Max. Right now, the series is only scheduled for one season and will tell a complete story, but HBO can create additional series if it wants.