Lanterns: Everything we know about the upcoming DCU HBO series

Last Updated on October 24, 2024

What Do We Know About the upcoming DCU original series Lanterns? More thank you may think. The HBO series will be the first live-action project on television from James Gunn’s rebooted DC cinematic universe. With casting announcements, rumors, and more, we know a lot of what is to come. So, let’s jump in and discuss Lanterns.

We will see multiple Green Lanterns.

While we met several members of the Green Lantern Corps in the Ryan Reynolds-led feature film, this new series is intentionally plural, as we will meet more than just Hal Jordan. According to James Gunn, Lanterns will center on Jon Stewart, who briefly appeared in Zack Snyder’s Justice League in a non-speaking role. We also know that James Gunn’s longtime friend and collaborator Nathan Fillion is portraying Lanterns hero Guy Gardner in the upcoming Superman movie and will potentially appear.

Kyle Chandler is Hal Jordan, but it was almost Josh Brolin.

Over the last few weeks, many casting rumors have been bandied about, with the Mayor of Kingstown and Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler being officially linked to the role of Hal Jordan this week. We previously had heard that Josh Brolin was offered the role but turned it down. Rumors have also circled around Matthew McConaughey and Ewan McGregor for the Jordan role, which is expected to be that of an established Lantern rather than the origin story we saw in the 2011 film.

Aaron Pierre will play the role of Jon Stewart.

Jon Stewart was the next major character needing to be cast, and reports had it down to two contenders. Aaron Pierre, who recently starred in the Netflix action movie Rebel Ridge, and Stephan James, star of Homecoming, are both up for the lead role in Lanterns. Reports also had Snowfall actor Damon Idris in contention, but he has since been removed from the running for the role. In the comics, Stewart has become the most powerful Green Lantern ever, but the series looks poised to set him as a rookie in the Corps learning how to wield a Power Ring under the mentorship of Hal Jordan. With Pierre landing the role, it is only a matter of time for the rest of the ensemble to fall into place.

Damon Lindelof and Chris Mundy are showrunners.

Employing solid creative talent is the bedrock for a project like Lanterns, so James Gunn has enlisted two of the best. Chris Mundy, showrunner of Netflix’s acclaimed Ozark, is working on Lanterns alongside Damon Lindelof, the man behind HBO’s critically acclaimed Watchmen and The Leftovers and the iconic series Lost. Lindelof and Mundy, alongside Tom King, wrote the pilot for Lanterns and the series bible, setting the show for long-term success. This is the latest iteration of a Green Lantern series after Greg Berlanti’s previously announced show had been scrapped with Gunn’s DCU reboot.

Plot details are under wraps.

Gunn has not revealed much about Lanterns other than that it would be a mystery along the lines of True Detective. Following a couple of Lantern Corps members, the heroes would investigate an Earth-based mystery. While having a pair of space cops with rings that allow them to make amazing weapons seems like overkill for a police procedural, I would expect some fun twists to come from the new series. It would also allow the series to differentiate itself from the slew of other comic book properties coming from DC, which is aiming to diversify its catalog of properties. DC Studios co-leader Peter Safran has also revealed that the investigation in Lanterns will tie directly into the main storyline of the new DCU.

Lanterns will likely debut in 2026.

James Gunn has only confirmed release dates for Superman in 2025, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and The Batman: Part II on the big screen in 2026, along with the animated series Creature Commandos later this year. It does appear that the casting call underway is intended to have the series ready to shoot in early 2025 and wrapping by July. With heavy special effects needed, it seems unlikely we will see the Lanterns debut until 2026.

Stay tuned to JoBlo.com as we learn more about Lanterns and all of your other favorite shows. What do you expect to see in the upcoming Lanterns season? Let us know in the comments, click like, and subscribe to follow all our latest original videos.