A new Lanterns trailer has surfaced online, and it appears to reveal a specific August 16 release date for the HBO series.
The catch? It still isn’t up on the official HBO Max, DC, or Warner Bros. channels.
The latest version of the trailer is making the rounds through a DCU fan account on X, after fans noticed what appears to be a revised upload.
According to a discussion on Reddit, the new trailer was released through DC’s official YouTube channel, but now it’s not available.
As of now, the YouTube link shows the video as private.
New Lanterns trailer includes August 16 date
The biggest detail in the new Lanterns trailer is the August 16 release date.
The previous official teaser only promoted an August release window for the series. This new version appears to narrow that down, pointing to Lanterns arriving August 16 on HBO Max.
That said, until HBO, DC, or Warner Bros. puts the trailer back up through an official channel, the date should still be treated as unofficial or at least unconfirmed.
It could be possible the new trailer was yanked again because the release date is wrong.
Trailer appears to swap out Bruce Springsteen song
Another interesting change is the music.
The original Lanterns teaser used a remix of Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper.” The new trailer appears to replace that track with music that sounds more like a piece of the show’s score.
That immediately raises a possible explanation for why the original teaser disappeared from official channels in the first place. It could also explain why the new trailer has been yanked.
It’s possible HBO pulled the trailers because of a licensing or rights issue involving the Bruce Springsteen track and/or the new music.
However, that is only a guess for now.
James Gunn’s original post featuring the trailer never came down, which makes the situation even stranger.
Original Lanterns trailer was already pulled from official channels
I was the first to report that the original Lanterns trailer had been taken down from HBO Max, DC, and Warner Bros. channels after its release.
At the time, the teaser had been switched to private on HBO Max’s YouTube channel. It also no longer appeared on the official DC or Warner Bros. YouTube pages, even though other DC projects, including Clayface, were still easy to find.
The trailer was originally released after an earlier leak forced HBO Max to put it out officially.
But after that rollout, the trailer became hard to find through official sources. Fan uploads, reaction videos, and reposts became the easiest way to watch it.
Gunn’s version stayed up
One odd part of the story is that James Gunn’s social media post promoting the teaser remained available.
That matters because Gunn has previously said HBO is in charge of marketing for the series. So if the trailer was pulled by HBO, DC, or Warner Bros. for music, marketing, or rollout reasons, Gunn’s post staying live only adds to the confusion.
It could mean the takedown was tied specifically to YouTube or official studio/platform uploads. It could also mean the issue was never serious enough to require a full removal across all social platforms.
Again, no official explanation has been given and Gunn, oddly, has been silent about the situation.
