HBO Max is going all in on Lanterns at San Diego Comic-Con, announcing a Friday Hall H panel and a Green Lantern training experience in the Gaslamp just weeks before the DC Studios series premieres August 16.
UPDATE: Two weeks ahead of that Hall H panel, a major plot leak claiming Hal Jordan dies in the premiere and that the Manhunters are the show’s central threat has surfaced online.
The official Green Lantern social accounts made the announcement Thursday, asking fans, “Do you have what it takes to be a Green Lantern at #SDCC?”
Lanterns Hall H Panel Details
The panel takes place Friday, July 24 from 1:30 to 2:30 pm at the San Diego Convention Center in Hall H.
Stars Kyle Chandler (Hal Jordan), Aaron Pierre (John Stewart), Garret Dillahunt (William Macon), and Poorna Jagannathan (Zoe) will be joined on stage by executive producers and co-creators Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King.
HBO Max promises “an exclusive first look with never-before-seen clips and behind-the-scenes insights.”
Expect questions about the two timelines Mundy has already confirmed, and don’t be surprised if a final trailer drops out of the panel following the full “Are you afraid?” trailer from earlier this year.
Green Lantern Training Headquarters
From Thursday, July 23 through Saturday, July 25, fans can enlist at the Lanterns Training Headquarters at Venue 808, located at 808 J St. in the Gaslamp. Hours run 9 am to 6 pm Thursday and 11 am to 9 pm Friday and Saturday.
Inspired by the show’s Rushville, Nebraska setting, the experience puts recruits through a briefing from the Guardians followed by target practice, trust exercises, maze navigation, and escape room style challenges built inside locations from the series, including a sheriff’s office and a dive bar.
Recruits who pass take home their own Green Lantern ring, and a Snapchat powered interactive mirror lets fans test out ring constructs. Exclusive Lanterns merch will also be on sale.
Sign-ups open Monday, July 13 at 9 am PT at hbomax.com/lanterns-sdcc, with reservations handled through Tock. Spots are limited, first come, first served, and guests must be 18 or older.
The sign-up page is already live, complete with an in-universe intake form from the Guardians that asks would-be recruits the question at the center of the show’s marketing: “Are you afraid?” For anyone who misses out on a reservation, a standby line will be run on site and admitted first come, first served.
HBO Max is also setting up a Lanterns Recharge Station in the Gaslamp where fans can charge their phones using Lantern Batteries.
Lanterns Is Carrying DC At Comic-Con
Lanterns anchors HBO Max’s Comic-Con lineup, which also includes a Thursday Hall H panel and advance screening for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe and a Saturday night House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 6 advance screening.
The bigger story is that the series looks to be DC’s main event in San Diego.
DC has revealed its Silver Age booth, panels, and exclusives, but so far there is nothing from DC Studios on the film side, with no Hall H presence announced for Man of Tomorrow or Clayface. Marvel Studios, meanwhile, is back in Hall H with Avengers: Doomsday.
HBO needs this one to land. Peacemaker Season 2 went from HBO Max’s biggest show to a ratings flop, Supergirl bombed at the box office, and James Gunn’s DC future remains an open question as the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merger moves toward closing.
The numbers will decide what happens next. Christopher Cantwell is reportedly lined up to write Season 2, but per Jeff Sneider, the greenlight depends on how Season 1 performs. Eight episodes, starting next month, will settle it.
Lanterns premieres Sunday, August 16 on HBO and HBO Max, a date James Gunn confirmed after the trailer fiasco leaked it early.
Cosmic Book News will be at San Diego Comic-Con covering the Lanterns panel and more, so stay tuned.
