Lanterns boasts an impressive creative team, starting with showrunner Chris Mundy. He co-wrote the pilot with acclaimed comic book writer Tom King (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow) and Lost and Watchmen mastermind Damon Lindelof. The trio will be credited as co-creators for the series.
The first Lanterns trailer received mixed reactions from fans. It looked a lot like an HBO series, but not necessarily the take on Green Lantern that most fans were hoping for.
The lack of green in the preview was a major sticking point, with Hal Jordan's washed-out costume and a lack of constructs disappointing many. All that, and some cosmic action, could be to come in the series itself, but right now, it feels like the narrative surrounding Lanterns is largely negative.
Doing little to help matters were comments from Lindelof in which he said, "It's called Lanterns, because we all agreed that the 'Green' was stupid."
Acclaimed Batman and Green Lantern comic book writer Grant Morrison had something to say in response, and publicly criticised Lindelof's "jockish dismayal of superhero conventions."
Now, Lindelof has broken his silence on what's become something of a PR nightmare for DC Studios (even the trades have reported on Morrison's remarks). "I have upset Grant Morrison, which means I have now pissed off MOST of the brilliant British/Scottish comics writers that I grew up idolizing," he writes in the Instagram post below. "I made a dumb joke on a comedy podcast."
"I’m not going to bob and weave about context, the joke was dumb, the fandom is not. I owe them an explanation and a genuine reflection of my actual feelings."
Lindelof went on to share his fandom for Green Lantern as a character, saying there's "nothing cooler than a hero whose superpower was his imagination." He also made sure to point out, "Green is not stupid, it is my lifelong favorite color and I have a questionnaire that I filled out in third grade to prove it. Green is f***ing awesome."
"More importantly, it would be a betrayal to everyone I worked for and alongside to say anything other than I was absolutely honored to be a part of the team that manifested the incredible construct that is Lanterns... because it was," he added. "I was sloppy and careless with my words, ironic considering I care so much about Hal, John and the entire Corps."
"I can and will do better to be worthy of the oath... until then, I’ll let the show speak for itself and I can’t wait for you all to hear what it has to say," Lindelof concluded.
While Lindelof's remarks came as a disappointment to many fans, the trailer itself was arguably a much bigger issue than an out-of-context joke on a podcast. DC Studios has taken a unique approach to Green Lantern, no doubt because it's eager to move on from the silliness of the 2011 movie.
A gritty, True Detective-style drama is the polar opposite, and it's looking like fans may not get to see the version of John they want until he suits up for James Gunn's Man of Tomorrow next summer.
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.
Alongside Kyle Chander and Aaron Pierre, 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.