Lanterns took a page right out of the prestige TV handbook with its most recent flashback episode, dividing audiences in the process. The Green Lantern show has had more in common with True Detective than Superman from the start, though, porting co-creator Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen vibes directly into James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe.
If you are ready to jump right back into the superhero-centered mystery, here is everything you need to know before Lanterns Episode 4 premieres:
When does Lanterns Episode 4 come out?
Season 1 Episode 4 will premiere on HBO at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 6. It will be available to stream on HBO Max at the same time. The episode is expected to have a runtime around 52 minutes.
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 3, Superman, Peacemaker and Supergirl ahead.)
Who will show up this episode?
Lanterns spent most of Episode 3 in the past, giving us a look at younger versions of several characters. We should be firmly back in 2016 and 2026 for at least Episode 4, meaning the main cast will be taking center stage once again. Here is a look at who could appear in Episode 4:
- Aaron Pierre as John Stewart
- Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan
- 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
- Paul Ben-Victor as Antaan
- Laura Linney as Lianna
- Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner
- Sherman Augustus as John Stewart Sr.
- Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette Stewart
- Romeo Brown as Aaron Stewart
- Jade Ramirez as Jessica Jordan
- Henry Samiri as Adolescent Hal Jordan
- Shea Pritchard as Noah Macon
- Cary Christopher as Adolescent Noah Macon
- Paula Patton as TBD
What to expect in Lanterns Episode 4?
Fresh off an extended flashback in Episode 3, Episode 4 will pick up right where Episode 2 left off. Hal went to visit his old mentor, Sinestro, in a space prison to find out what he knows about the Manhunters. Sinestro turned the tables on Hal, though, and changed the topic to John’s status as a Green Lantern. At the very least, Hal knows that the Guardians hand-picked John to replace him rather than to simply back him up.
Back on Earth, Hal and John are going to keep investigating the dead aliens and the shady Macon family in Nebraska. In the teaser, we even see Hal willingly give John the ring for some recon. John is in for an eventful episode, since the trailer also shows brief moments of him hooking up with Zoe, meeting with William Macon, witnessing an explosion outside his motel and getting in a car crash. The Guardians of the Universe are still keeping an eye on everything, too, with Lianna poised to return.
There’s also the matter of the 2026 timeline, where Hal is dead and Guy Gardner presumably has the ring. Nathan Fillion is set to appear after debuting in Superman and making a cameo in Peacemaker Season 2, but we haven’t gotten any of the flash forward timeline since the season premiere. Guy probably won’t show up in 2016, where the bulk of the story has been taking place, so his role in the story is still largely unknown.
There is no official synopsis for this week’s episode, but there is the preview for Lanterns Episode 4:
Lanterns FAQs
When does Lanterns come out?
Lanterns Episode 4 will premiere at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 6. The next four episodes will drop once a week at the same time.
Where can I watch Lanterns?
Lanterns is 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 later this month or October.
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.
