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HBO's Lanterns show is the next small-screen offering in James Gunn's DCU, bringing the Green Lantern Corps' Hal Jordan and John Stewart into the fold. And, now that the first trailer for the show has officially dropped, we've got our best look yet at what to expect from the peacekeeping duo.
Of course, Hal and John aren't the first Green Lanterns to appear in the new DCU: Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner appeared in Superman as part of the Justice Gang and had a cameo in Peacemaker season 2. Still, Lanterns looks it'll show us a very different side to the ring-bearing heroes.
Lanterns release date speculation
The first thing we're all wondering is when we'll be able to watch Lanterns. Sadly, as yet, we don't have a concrete Lanterns release date. It was originally reported to premiere on HBO Max in early 2026, but the arrival of the show's first trailer confirmed it will now debut in August 2026.
Is there a Lanterns trailer?
The first Lanterns trailer was released behind closed doors during an HBO Upfront presentation and it finally hit the internet in March 2026. The two-minute clip, which you can watch above, teases Hal and John's dynamic (it looks like we can expect plenty of bickering), as well as tensions between the Green Lantern Corps and the Earth-based cops as a mystery investigation unfolds. The teaser also gives us our first glimpse at the Green Lantern suit, the Power Ring, and Hal flying, but it's a pretty grounded take on the heroes, otherwise.
Lanterns cast
The Lanterns cast is led by Friday Night Lights' Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, who starred in Netflix's acclaimed action thriller, Rebel Ridge. They're backed up by the familiar face of Nathan Fillion, once more playing fellow Lantern Guy Gardner. Long-time comics fans, meanwhile, will be excited to learn that Sinestro – a former Lantern who has since gone rogue – will also appear, played by Ulrich Thomsen.
At this point, we have a fairly lengthy list of actors who have been cast in the show, though bear in mind that for many of the characters listed here, we only know their name – and sometimes not even that!
Check out the complete Lanterns cast list so far below:
- Kyle Chandler – Hal Jordan
- Aaron Pierre – John Stewart
- Kelly Macdonald – Kerry
- Nathan Fillion – Guy Gardner
- Garret Dillahunt – William Macon
- Poorna Jagannathan – Zoe
- Ulrich Thomsen – Sinestro
- Nicole Ari Parker – Bernadette Stewart
- Jason Ritter – Billy Macon
- Sherman Augustus – John Stewart Sr.
- Paul Ben-Victor – Antaan
- Chris Coy – Waylon Sanders
- Cary Christopher – young Noah
- Laura Linney
- Paula Patton
Lanterns plot
With the show still some way out, very little concrete information is yet known about the plot of Lanterns. We do have some details, however...
The series follows two members of the Green Lantern Corps – a group of intergalactic (and therefore not always human) peacekeepers. Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) is a test pilot from Earth who was recruited by the Corps, had a legendary career with them, but is now approaching retirement. He's tasked with training up new Lantern Corps recruit and former Marine, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). Together, the two investigate a murder in Nebraska that leads them to a sinister mystery.
It's "as much of a buddy cop show as a superhero show," showrunner Chris Mundy said. "Our show is in a lot of ways about replacement – when should someone step aside and when is it time for the next person to take the reins? 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’re yelling and screaming."
James Gunn previously described Lanterns as being "really a terrestrial-based TV show, which is almost like True Detective with a couple of Green Lanterns who are space cops watching over precinct Earth." He also mentioned that other members of the Corps will be "peppered in there" and that Jordan and Stewart will "discover a terrifying mystery that ties into our larger story of the DCU."
In the comics, the known universe is divided into 3600 different sectors, with each sector patrolled by one or two Lanterns. Earth is in Sector 2814. We don't know if this will be mentioned in the show, but that makes some sense of Gunn's "precinct Earth" comment.
Where can I watch Lanterns?
This one is easy to answer if you live in the United States. Lanterns, like all the other DCU projects, will be available to stream in the US on HBO Max.
It's less certain where the show will air for UK viewers, but we can take a guess. Both Creature Commandos and Peacemaker have aired on Sky Max and NOW TV in the UK. Keep your eyes on this guide as we update you on the latest streaming news. While we wait, you can also check out our list of the best shows on HBO Max to watch right now!
For more of the DCU, check out our guide on how to watch DC movies in order, and keep up with all the upcoming superhero movies and shows heading your way.
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