The highly anticipated series “Lanterns,” which is part of the original DCU: Gods and Monsters Chapter One rollout, recently wrapped filming, generating excitement among fans. The series is scheduled to air on HBO in early 2026. It’s vowing to bring that epic combination of jaw-dropping superhero spectacle meeting super-smart storytelling right along with it.
Lanterns cast Under the Dome and Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler will star as Hal Jordan, with Aaron Pierre (The Terminal List) as John Stewart. This dynamic duo is set to navigate the dark complexities of their terrestrial-based narrative, drawing comparisons to HBO’s acclaimed series “True Detective.” As much as the show will include these heroics, it hopes to get into some deeper moral conflicts and character relationship building.
Director James Hawes, for one, was evidently most excited about mixing things up in a way that only this series could. He called it a loose buddy cop format with elevated storytelling that features the themes of classic Americana-inspired fare.
“It looks and feels rooted. You meet two guys [Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart], but there is wit and comedy to it that you would not expect in True Detective. It is, in many ways, a buddy cop structure with travel in the story time, to and fro, that is really sophisticated,” – James Hawes
The supporting cast enhances the story’s richness with notable performances from Ulrich Thomsen as the menacing Sinestro, Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry, and Garret Dillahunt portraying William Macon. Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe and Nicole Ari Parker as John Stewart’s mother, Bernadette. Jason Ritter and Sherman Augustus join the cast as Billy Macon and John Stewart’s father, John Sr., respectively.
It’s a point that James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, has made before about the direction of the narrative. It’s really a story of two Green Lanterns, John Stewart and Hal Jordan. We’ve got a couple more Lanterns interspersed throughout, but this episode is all about Earth. It’s like True Detective if it was a few Green Lanterns as beat cops wrapped around Precinct Earth. The more they go down the rabbit hole, the more they find a horrifying secret that ties it all together — back to the mysterious larger DC Universe storyline.
Well, the excitement just soared to an even higher level! Nathan Fillion joins the cast as the fearless Guy Gardner, bringing additional diversity to the character palette of the high-profile series.
With its unique premise and talented ensemble cast, “Lanterns” is poised to offer fans a refreshing take on the superhero genre. The blend of humor, drama and mystery makes it feel like a three-dimensional watch that may change what we expect from DC television.