DC Studios’ highly anticipated Lanterns series has been delayed, with HBO CEO Casey Bloys confirming the show is now aiming for a late summer 2026 debut, months later than originally planned.
DC’s Lanterns Moves Back
During a Warner Bros. Discovery presentation in New York, Bloys revealed that Lanterns will arrive end of summer 2026 on HBO and Max, but did not provide an official release date.
The update marks another shift for one of the cornerstone titles of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe slate.
Production and Earlier Plans
Production on Lanterns began back in February, with Gunn and Safran originally targeting an early 2026 release.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Q3 shareholder letter also listed the show for early 2026, though later reports suggested it might follow the release of Supergirl, currently scheduled for June 2026.
What We Know So Far
The eight-episode series stars Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and is described as a grounded mystery following Stewart and Hal Jordan as “intergalactic cops” investigating a dark secret on Earth.
Showrunner Chris Mundy (Ozark, True Detective) previously called the series “as much a buddy cop show as a superhero show,” suggesting a mix of noir, character drama, and high-stakes cosmic action.
A Key Part of Gunn’s DCU
Lanterns is expected to tie directly into Gunn’s larger DC Universe story arc, and may tie into reports the DCU villain is Brainiac.
About the Release
Lanterns is being developed as an eight-episode HBO and Max series with Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country, Ozark) serving as showrunner. Mundy is co-writing the series with executive producers Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers) and Tom King (Mister Miracle, Supergirl). The creative team positions the show as a grounded crime thriller that happens to star two Green Lanterns.
The cast is led by Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, both appearing across all eight episodes in 2026.
Nathan Fillion returns as Guy Gardner, joining 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.
HBO is currently targeting late summer 2026 for the premiere, though the network has yet to set an official release date.
Our insiders have told us the show is really good and eventually leads harder into sci-fi.
