UPDATE #2: In what has to be one of the biggest fails in recent memory, the footage that was first teased by HBO Max earlier today has ended up being nothing more than Aaron Pierre introducing an even shorter version of the preview we saw this morning.
UPDATE: Based on an X post shared by HBO Max, it appears the first trailer for Lanterns will be released later today. Be sure to keep checking back here for updates.
HBO and HBO Max have released a trailer looking ahead to their 2026 offerings, and with that comes our first look at footage from DC Studios' Lanterns.
There's no costumed action, but we see Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) lecturing John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) about not being ready until the Green Lantern Corps ring says so. With that, he leaps out of the car, leaving John to plummet over a cliff.
The Lanterns footage begins at the 1:35 mark and runs for about 11 seconds. There's also an additional shot of John at 1:49. It doesn't really tell us much about what to expect, but the mentor/mentee dynamic between these two should be a lot of fun.
Given the age difference between the characters in the DCU, the expectation is that Hal is planning to retire and wants to leave Sector 2814 in John's hands. Many fans are unhappy that Hal's story is ending just as it begins, but at the same time, there are just as many who believe that John being the main live-action Green Lantern is long overdue.
How this series will accomplish the handover remains to be seen, especially as the comics saw an older Hal break bad by becoming the villainous Parallax.
It's not the only sneak peek to be found, though, as this preview also includes never-before-seen footage from the following:
- House of the Dragon Season 3, HBO Original Drama Series, debuts summer 2026
- Euphoria Season 3, HBO Original Drama Series, debuts in April
- Industry Season 4, HBO Original Drama Series, debuts January 11
- The Pitt Season 2, Max Original Drama Series, debuts January 8
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, HBO Original Drama Series, debuts January 18
- DTF St. Louis, HBO Original Limited Series, debuts in 2026
- The Comeback Season 3, HBO Original Comedy Series, debuts in March
- Rooster, HBO Original Comedy Series, debuts in March
- Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, HBO Original Two-Part Documentary, debuts in 2026
- Untitled Larry David Project, HBO Original Limited Series, debuts in 2026
- Half Man, HBO Original Limited Drama Series, debuts in 2026
- Hacks Season 5, Max Original Comedy Series, debuts in 2026
- Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, Max Original Comedy Series, debuts in 2026
- The Gilded Age Season 4, HBO Original Drama Series, debuts in 2026
- War, HBO Original Series, debuts in 2026
- Dune: Prophecy Season 2, HBO Original Drama Series, debuts in 2026
Lanterns follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.
Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country) is serving as showrunner and executive producer and will write Lanterns with Damon Lindelof (Watchmen) and comic book scribe Tom King (Supergirl). The cast includes Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, and Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro.
Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Nicole Ari Parker, Jason Ritter, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Jasmine Cephas Jones round out the cast.
Lanterns is set to premiere on HBO in 2026.