James Gunn’s thing for squirrels continues in the DCU Lanterns series coming next year to HBO Max.
DC Studios quietly rolled out the first teaser for Lanterns during HBO Max’s upfront event in São Paulo, giving fans the earliest look yet at James Gunn and Peter Safran’s grounded Green Lantern series.
While the footage hasn’t been released online, descriptions paint a clear picture of the tone—and the dynamic—shaping the new DCU show.
And for the record, we’ve been told the series is really good and starts off grounded but then leans heavy into sci-fi.
A Western-Style Green Lantern Story
According to coverage from Omelete, the teaser leans heavily into a western vibe, reflecting the series’ rural American setting.
The footage reportedly uses “brownish tones” across both the environment and the costumes—hinting at a more grounded, True Detective–style aesthetic rather than cosmic spectacle.
The western influence aligns with what showrunner Chris Mundy previously said about making Lanterns as much of a crime thriller as a superhero series.
Hal Jordan Trains John Stewart
The big focus of the teaser is the dynamic between Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre).
The two have “been together for months” and are several stages into training, with Hal serving as a “substitute teacher,” mentoring John through the early phases of being an Earth-based Lantern.
The tension between them is clear:
- John Stewart openly tells Hal he’s better at saving people.
- Hal pushes back, continuing to drill him like a veteran who has seen it all.
Omelete describes the pair as clashing throughout the teaser, reinforcing the show’s “opposite personalities stuck together” approach.
No Suit Reveal Yet
Fans hoping to see the Green Lantern uniforms will have to wait—the teaser does not show either Hal or John fully suited up. The only powers on display reportedly come from a quick shot of Hal flying, but his full costume remains obscured.
Given the show’s late summer 2026 target window, HBO appears to be holding onto the full visual reveal for a later date.
Ch’p Reference Confirmed
The teaser also includes a surprising nod to longtime comic fans: A mention of Ch’p, the squirrel-like Green Lantern from sector 1014.
The character is not shown, but the reference confirms he exists in Gunn’s DCU, and may even appear later in the season.
Release info
Lanterns is planned as an eight-episode HBO and Max series with Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country, Ozark) as showrunner. Mundy is co-writing with executive producers Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers) and Tom King (Mister Miracle, Supergirl), shaping the series as a grounded crime thriller that just happens to feature two Green Lanterns at the center.
The series stars Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, with both appearing in all eight episodes. They’re joined by Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry, Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, Jason Ritter as Billy Macon, Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette, Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro, and Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe.
