The first trailer for HBO Max’s Lanterns was confusing. It featured a small-town setting, a brown colour palette and few displays of superpowers. We didn’t see any of that luminous green shit that you normally associate with the Green Lanterns, which was on full display in last year’s Superman. And this is meant to be set in the same Universe?
Visual and tonal consistency aside, I liked the idea of a washed-up hero butting heads with a young upstart while trying to solve a murder in a neo-Western setting. It didn’t feel like a superhero show, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
HBO Max has released a second trailer, where we finally get some green, but little plot.
Kye Chandler plays ageing Lantern Hal Jordan. He appears to be training his potential successor, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), although somewhat reluctantly. The fact that there’s only one magic ring between them is bound to be a source of conflict.
Nathan Fillion has already appeared in the DCU as Guy Gardner, another Green Lantern. Gardner is also glimpsed in the latest trailer.
Lanterns will debut on HBO Max in August 2026.
