Lanterns

Lanterns is an upcoming HBO drama set within DC Studios’ new DC Universe. The series centers on two members of the Green Lantern Corps: Hal Jordan, portrayed by Kyle Chandler, and John Stewart, portrayed by Aaron Pierre. Its announced premise follows the pair as they investigate a murder in the American heartland, a case that is expected to connect to a larger mystery. Rather than introducing the Corps only through cosmic spectacle, the project has been described as a grounded detective story, with a tonal comparison to True Detective. The Green Lantern Corps is DC’s intergalactic peacekeeping organization, whose members wield power rings fueled by willpower. Hal Jordan is one of DC’s oldest and most recognizable Green Lanterns, first appearing in Showcase #22 in 1959. John Stewart debuted in Green Lantern #87 in 1971 and became especially familiar to television audiences through Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, where he was a central team member. Lanterns will be the first live-action production in the new DC Universe to feature both characters as its principal investigators. Chris Mundy serves as showrunner and executive producer. Mundy previously worked on True Detective: Night Country and was an executive producer on Ozark. Damon Lindelof, known for co-creating Lost and for HBO’s Watchmen, is an executive producer and co-writer on the series. Tom King, a prominent DC comic-book writer whose work includes Mister Miracle, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and The Human Target, is also an executive producer and co-writer. James Hawes is set to direct the first two episodes and executive produce; his directing credits include episodes of Slow Horses and Black Mirror. HBO ordered Lanterns as an eight-episode series in June 2024. The order followed earlier plans for a Green Lantern television project that had been developed for Max but was ultimately reworked after DC Studios, led by James Gunn and Peter Safran, established its shared-screen universe. Lanterns is therefore distinct from the previously announced anthology concept that would have included several Green Lantern characters. The series is part of DC Studios’ first chapter, titled “Gods and Monsters.” That chapter begins theatrically with Superman, written and directed by Gunn, and also includes projects such as Creature Commandos, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and the Batman-related series The Penguin, though The Penguin remains connected to Matt Reeves’ separate Batman continuity. Lanterns is positioned as a major television entry in the main DC Universe, using the investigation involving Jordan and Stewart to explore a threat with broader consequences.