The expectation was that Lanterns would be released in the first few months of 2026, but with DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn recently claiming to be in the dark about plans to share a teaser trailer, that suddenly seems less likely.
HBO has several big series likely to premiere in the first half of next year, and DC Studios likely won't want the show to overlap with Supergirl in June, so when will we see Lanterns on our screens?
The Green Lanterns Podcast reached out to The Hollywood Reporter about a recent edition of the trade's Heat Vision newsletter, in which they seemed to hint that Lanterns would premiere after Supergirl. They believe that's still the case, suggesting we won't get to watch the show until the second half of 2026 at the earliest.
This will come as a disappointment to many of you, but it also makes sense. Supergirl is now a key chapter in the "Superman Saga," with Man of Tomorrow set to follow in 2027. Supergirl reshoots are reportedly taking place now to add more of David Corenswet's Superman to the movie, likely to set up his next appearance.
Gunn has also hinted that Lanterns will feature Salvation and perhaps even set up the DCU's next big bad. If that is indeed The Centre, then it makes sense for the series to follow Supergirl, bridging the gap to Man of Tomorrow and whatever the filmmaker has planned beyond it.
The DC Studios co-CEO appears to have taken a break from social media, but here's hoping he provides an official update in due course.
During a recent interview with Men's Health, Lanterns showrunner Chris Mundy talked about what makes Aaron Pierre such a good choice to finally bring John Stewart to life in live-action.
"It's a tricky role because there's a physicality to believing that someone is a superhero, and then there's a physicality to the character of John Stewart," he explained. "He was a Marine sniper, which requires a certain kind of focus and diligence. After the Marines, he becomes an architect, so there's an artistic side to him. Those are a lot of elements that an actor has got to be able to project."
"Aaron is someone who understands that physicality as a trained theater actor. We talked a lot about that how being a Marine is John's job, but it's not his entire personality. He's as much an artist as he is a Marine. There's a real balance of the physical and the artistic that's just innately inside of Aaron, and I think it's essential."
"If we're doing our jobs well as writers, we're not stating all this stuff out loud. We're trusting that our actors can fulfill that role," Mundy continued. "The audience has to believe that he could take a guy down with one punch, and also believe that he could sketch intricate portraits of his family and birds and all these beautiful things."
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.