The full Lanterns trailer has been released, and HBO Max is leaning into the main question at the center of the Green Lantern mythology: “Are you afraid?”
The new trailer follows the teaser shared by James Gunn and gives a bigger look at Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart. It also shows more ring action, more tension between the two Lanterns, and the mystery that will drive the HBO DCU series.
HBO Max teased the trailer with the line: “Are you afraid?” Watch below.
Hal Jordan Explains The Power Of The Ring
The trailer opens with Hal Jordan explaining what the Green Lantern ring really is.
“This ring, it’s the greatest weapon in the universe,” says Hal. “When and if to use it, that’s the whole ball game, Junior.”
The footage shows Hal as the veteran Lantern who has been carrying the job for years. Chandler’s version of Hal appears rough, worn down, and not interested in handing over power easily.
The trailer also makes it clear Hal and John Stewart are not starting out as friends. At one point, John appears to question whether Hal used the ring to counterfeit money.
“Tell me how you got it. The ring?” Hal says.
John fires back: “You know how I got it. I sure as hell didn’t interview for it.”
John Stewart Challenges Hal Jordan
The trailer puts the conflict between Hal and John front and center. John is the new Lantern, but he does not look like he plans on playing second fiddle.
“Power like that. Shouldn’t you have to work for it?” John asks.
Hal responds with a warning: “I’ve been doing this since you were a baby. And the only way you’re going to get this ring is over my dead body.”
John’s response says plenty about the dynamic between the two: “I think he likes me.”
It looks like Lanterns is building the series around that old-school versus new-school tension, with Hal as the experienced Green Lantern and John as the recruit who may not trust the people around him.
Everybody Is Lying To Us
The trailer also pushes the mystery side of the series, with John warning, “Everybody is lying to us.”
Hal then tells him, “You’re not even here till we find out what they’re hiding. Dangerous part of the job. You need to be fearless.”
That lines up with how Lanterns has been described from the start. The series follows Hal Jordan and John Stewart as they investigate a murder on Earth, with the case tied to a larger conspiracy.
The full trailer looks more like a crime thriller than a traditional superhero series, but it also shows the Green Lantern powers in a much bigger way than the earlier footage. Hal uses the ring, constructs are shown, and the trailer finally gives fans more of the comic book side of the show.
Are You Afraid?
The main hook of the trailer comes down to one question: “Are you afraid?”
The line repeats throughout the footage, tying directly into what makes someone worthy of a Green Lantern ring. The Corps is built around willpower and the ability to overcome fear, and the trailer uses that idea as the central test for John Stewart.
John ends the trailer with confidence.
“I was raised fearless and I’ll do this better than he’s ever done it before,” he says.
The trailer closes with Laura Linney’s mystery character: “Then go and get it, John Stewart.”
Lanterns Release Info
Lanterns premieres August 16, 2026 on HBO and HBO Max.
The series stars Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro.
Chris Mundy serves as showrunner. Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and DC Comics writer Tom King developed the series. James Gunn, Peter Safran, Mundy, Lindelof, King, Ron Schmidt, and James Hawes serve as executive producers. Hawes directs the first two episodes.
Watch the trailer:
