The DC Universe is back with Lanterns set to premiere on HBO. It marks the second live-action show in James Gunn’s rebooted version of the franchise, following in the wake of Peacemaker Season 2, as well as the Superman and Supergirl movies. This gritty detective show starring multiple Green Lanterns will introduce even more fan-favorite characters, continuing to round out the universe in terms of scope, tone and genre.
If you are ready to jump right back into the world of DC superheroes, here is everything you need to know before Lanterns gets underway:
When does Lanterns come out?
Season 1 Episode 1 will premiere on HBO at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 16. It will be available to stream on HBO Max at the same time. The season premiere, which is simply titled “Pilot,” is expected to have a runtime around 1 hour.
Like The Penguin, House of the Dragon and most other major HBO titles, Lanterns will release one episode a week – all on Sunday nights. There will be eight episodes in Season 1, as there were for both seasons of Peacemaker and The Penguin. As a result, the finale will air on Sunday, October 4.
(Warning: Spoilers for Superman, Peacemaker and Supergirl ahead.)
Who will show up this season?
Lanterns is a part of the DCU, which means there could be some crossover with other projects past, present and future. We know at least one major player who is bridging the gap between certain stories, while new additions could show up elsewhere moving forward. Here is a look at who is confirmed to be part of the cast:
- Aaron Pierre as John Stewart
- Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan
- Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner
- Ulrich Thomsen as Thaal Sinestro
- Kelly Macdonald as Kerry
- Garret Dillahunt as William Macon
- Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe
- Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette Stewart
- Jason Ritter as Billy Macon
- Sherman Augustus as John Stewart Sr.
- Paul Ben-Victor as Antaan
- Chris Coy as Waylon Sanders
- Cary Christopher as Noah
- Laura Linney as a Guardian of the Universe
- Paula Patton as TBD
What to expect in Lanterns
While many of the plot details have been kept under wraps, we know that Lanterns is going to be a gritty detective story that takes place in Oklahoma. Ozark and True Detective‘s Chris Mundy served as showrunner and co-creater, with Lost‘s Damon Lindelof and comic book writer Tom King also co-creating the series. Lanterns will center around John Stewart, who is learning the ropes of the Green Lantern Corps from the more experienced Hal Jordan during an investigation on Earth. Their case is somehow tied to the arrival of Manhunters, a shape-shifting race of aliens.
The show’s origins predate Gunn’s takeover at DC, with the Arrowverse’s Greg Berlanti starting development as far back as October 2019. The series has gone through several iterations behind the scenes, though, and will now be fully integrated with the rest of the newly-rebooted DC Universe. As a result, Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner is set to appear after previously showing up in Superman and Peacemaker Season 2 in 2025. It remains to be seen if or how the Justice Gang, Checkmate or Salvation will play into Lanterns.
Here is the official Lanterns synopsis from HBO: “This new series follows Green Lantern legend Hal Jordan and fresh recruit John Stewart, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery.”
On top of that, here is the final trailer for Lanterns:
Lanterns FAQs
When does Lanterns come out?
Lanterns Episode 1 will premiere at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 16. The next seven episodes will drop once a week at the same time.
Where can I watch Lanterns?
Lanterns will be available to stream on HBO Max. All other shows and movies in the newly-rebooted DC Universe are also available on the streaming service if you are looking to catch up, from Creature Commandos and Peacemaker to Superman. Supergirl, meanwhile, is only available for video on-demand and isn’t expected to be on HBO Max until September.
Will there be another season of Lanterns?
HBO has not publicly renewed Lanterns for a second season. However, according to a report from Jeff Sneider, the network has hired Halt and Catch Fire co-creator Christopher Cantwell to produce and write a potential Season 2.
When does the next DC project come out?
Following Lanterns‘ eight-week run on HBO, the next DC film or TV show will be Clayface. The horror-adjacent movie about the titular shape-shifting Batman villain will hit theaters on October 23, 2026.
