Lanterns opened with a bang last week, setting the stage for a classic prestige TV mystery on HBO. While it is part of James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe alongside Superman, Supergirl and Peacemaker, the show is already living up to the True Detective comparison. But naturally, this gritty crime thriller features the Green Lantern at the center of it.
If you are itching to pour over every last question and clue ahead, here is everything you need to know before Lanterns Episode 2 premieres:
When does Lanterns come out?
Season 1 Episode 2 will premiere on HBO at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 23. It will be available to stream on HBO Max at the same time. The episode 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 Lanterns Episode 1, Superman, Peacemaker and Supergirl ahead.)
Who will show up this episode?
Lanterns introduced a solid chunk of its main cast in Episode 1, as well as the time-hopping structure. So while Hal Jordan is dead in 2026, we will be getting plenty more of his story in 2016 and potentially more insight into where he was in 1986, 1996 and 2006. There is also a crossover with the greater DCU on the docket, not to mention any surprises that could lie ahead. Here is a look at who could appear in Episode 2 and beyond:
- Aaron Pierre as John Stewart
- Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan
- Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner
- Ulrich Thomsen as Thaal Sinestro
- Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry Kane
- Garret Dillahunt as William Macon
- Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe Macon
- Jason Ritter as Billy Macon
- Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette Stewart
- 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 Episode 2?
The main story of Lanterns takes place in 2016. An alien disguised as a human – presumably a Manhunter, based on the show’s marketing – just blew himself up to avoid telling Hal anything about what his kind was doing in rural Nebraska. Hal’s gut instinct was right, although the coded message from his past self suggests that he isn’t telling his trainee everything. Sheriff Kane’s father-in-law, William Macon, seemed to have some kind of knowledge of the alien invasion, as well, but we don’t yet know why or how. John still has a lot to learn, although digging deeper into Macon could be complicated given he already slept with his wife. There could be extensive flashback sequences to Hal’s origin in 1986, but we don’t know when that could weave itself into the show’s central plot.
We know Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner is going to appear after previously showing up in Superman and Peacemaker Season 2 in 2025. Looking at on shots from the latest preview, though, we only see Guy interact with the 2026 version of John. The timing of who has the ring when – and if there are multiple rings on Earth at once – remains up in the air. A representative of the Guardians of the Universe will visit the planet in 2016, which could give us more insight into how the Green Lantern Corps work.
There is no official synopsis for this week’s episode, but there is a trailer for the weeks ahead on Lanterns:
Lanterns FAQs
When does Lanterns come out?
Lanterns Episode 2 will premiere at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 23. The next six 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.
