"Where did Harry Potter go to school?"
If you can't answer that question, there's a good chance that Hal Jordan will think you're an alien.
As we draw ever closer to the mid-August premiere of Lanterns, more exciting footage from the upcoming HBO superhero drama is starting to surface online.
Following yesterday's first clip and teaser of the "Green Lantern Signal" we a second round of new footage that showcase's John Stewart's millitary background and showcases Hal Jordan's unusual detective methods.
In the clip, according to Jordan, aliens learn all kinds of statistical and factual information to blend in, but they often miss out on accumulating knowledge about pop culture and shifting changes in the mainstream media landscape.
In previously released footage, it was revealed that the big threat or one of the threats in the show are the Manhunters, robotic creations of the Guardians that predated the Lantern Corps.
The Manhunters have enhanced strength, flight, and can drain Lantern constructs and batteries, but they've traditionally not had the power to shapeshift until the upcoming HBO drama.
In the comics, when the Guardians created the Manhunters, they based the design after the planetary police force of Mars, who were aptly called the Manhunters of Mars.
It seems the show is taking this inspiration a step further by giving the robotic Manhunters a major upgrade from the comics by giving them an ability that belongs exclusively to their flesh-and-blood Martian counterparts.
There's also a new TV spot/teaser to watch with a few brief shots of new footage. Perhaps the most interesting scene was John Stewart handling a large gun that showcases that even without his ring, Stewart is still a dangerous Marine.
Lanterns stars Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart. Fans will also see Nathan Fillion reprise his role as the abrasive Guy Gardner, connecting Lanterns to his appearance in Superman.
The stellar cast also includes Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry, a pivotal character in the local mystery, while Ulrich Thomsen will portray the iconic rogue Sinestro, Hal Jordan's former mentor.
Other key cast members include Garret Dillahunt as the conspiracy-minded William Macon, Jason Ritter as his charming son Billy, and Nicole Ari Parker as John Stewart's mother, Bernadette.
Back in July 2025, the 8-episode HBO superhero drama wrapped filming are kicking off principal photography in February. The lengthy post-production time is another strong indicator that the series will eventually visit places other than Rushville, Nebraska.
The official synopsis for the series states that the plot centers on a seemingly isolated murder in the American heartland, specifically Nebraska. This local crime will draw the veteran Green Lantern Corps member Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and his new recruit, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), into deeper, more sinister revelations.
Lanterns is set to premiere on HBOMax on August 16.
Damon Lindelof (Lost, Watchmen) is on board as a co-creator of the HBO drama, putting him right at the center of the show’s creative direction. He’s joined by Chris Mundy (Hell on Wheels, Low Winter Sun) and Tom King.
Mundy serves as the showrunner for the production while King supplied the initial pitch. Lindelof wrote the pilot and is in charge of overall story development.