First DCU Lanterns Footage Released: Hal Pushes John to the Edge—Literally

The first official footage from DC Studios’ Lanterns series has been released, giving fans a tense, character-driven moment between Hal Jordan and John Stewart that sets the tone for the DCU’s grounded take on the Green Lantern mythos.

Hal Jordan Tests John Stewart

In the scene, Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart pleads from the passenger seat, “I trained my entire life for this.”

Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan doesn’t budge. “You’re not ready to get up in front of the class until the ring says you are,” Hal replies, before placing the Power Ring on the dashboard and bailing out of the car as it rockets off a cliff.

It’s a sharp, no-nonsense exchange that frames Hal as a hard-edged mentor and John as someone still earning the ring’s trust—both from Hal and from the Corps itself.

lanterns first look kyle chandler aaron pierre

Builds on the Earlier Lanterns Teaser

The footage follows the recent teaser shown at HBO Max’s upfront event in São Paulo, which hinted at a grounded, almost True Detective-style approach to the series.

Rather than cosmic spectacle first, Lanterns appears focused on character, tension, and consequences, with the sci-fi elements woven into a crime-thriller framework.

What Lanterns Is About

Lanterns is planned as an eight-episode series for HBO and Max.

Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country, Ozark) serves as showrunner and co-writer alongside executive producers Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers) and DC writer Tom King (Mister Miracle, Supergirl). The creative team has described the show as a grounded crime thriller that happens to star two Green Lanterns.

Cast and Characters

The series stars Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, with both appearing in all eight episodes.

The cast also includes: Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe, 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, and Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro.