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It's frankly shocking that the Green Lantern hasn't gotten a truly stellar live-action adaptation yet. Of course, DC certainly tried with 2011's Green Lantern, one of the most infamous comic book films of all time that really shouldn't have been the disaster that it was. It had a fantastic action filmmaker in Casino Royale (2006) director Marin Campbell, an extremely talented cast led by future Deadpool Ryan Reynolds, and rich source material Alas, the movie is remembered as a critical and financial failure, with nearly everyone who was a part of the film's production treating it as a practical joke in their careers. Since then, apart from a brief cameo from a Green Lantern Corps member in Justice League (2017), we haven't seen the famous green ring appear in any other DC live-action project since the first film. Green Lantern has, however, found far more success in television, nearly all of them being animated like the legendary Justice League (2001-2004) series and the fan-favorite Green Lantern: The Animated Series (2011-2013). With the many wielders of the Green Lantern ring seemingly feeling much more comfortable on the small screen, it makes sense that new DC Studios CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have opted to use the serialized television format to bring the Green Lanterns into their new DC Universe. Simply titled Lanterns, the plural use of the word is deliberate as the show will star not one, but two heroes who share the title of Green Lantern.
Those two people are Hal Jordan, the original human Green Lantern Corp member and the one we follow in the 2011 film as well as Green Lantern: The Animated Series, and John Stewart, the Green Lantern best known as the roster member seen in both Justice League and its sequel series Justice League Unlimited (2004-2006). The second live-action series in Gunn and Safran's recently announced "Gods and Monsters" phase, the ambitious new show will see the two Lanterns (and perhaps a few more) embark on a detective story that will result in major consequences for the rest of the DCU. A buddy-cop-style Green Lantern show has been in on-and-off development for a very long time and has been shrouded in secrecy for that same timeframe. With Gunn and Safran now finally kicking the show's production into gear, it's only a matter of time until we learn more about the anticipated project. Until then, here is everything we know so far about Lanterns.
When and Where Is Lanterns Releasing?
Gunn confirmed in his announcement video that Lanterns will be released as an HBO Max exclusive series. This comes as no surprise given that HBO Max has become a one-stop shop for all your DC content needs, especially when it comes to Green Lantern. The 2011 film, the Justice League animated shows, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, and just about every Green Lantern animated film can be found on one of the best streaming services money can buy right now.
Since the show is still in very early production, Lanterns doesn't have a hard release date or schedule yet, but it does have a vague release window. In Gunn's release plan announcement, it appears that Lanterns will release sometime between Gunn's Superman reboot, Superman: Legacy (2025), and the super anti-hero ensemble film, The Authority. The Authority doesn't have a release date yet either, but we do know that Superman: Legacy is planned to release in theaters on July 11, 2025. That means that we can more than likely expect to see Lanterns arrive on HBO Max sometime after Summer 2025.
Does Lanterns Have a Trailer?
Lanterns is still in very early pre-production and filming won't begin for quite some time, so it'll be a while before we get a first look at what's in store for Hal Jordan and John Stewart. The only thing we have as far as promotional material goes is James Gunn's announcement video, where he reveals Lanterns and the rest of the slate for the "Gods and Monsters" phase. When discussing Lanterns, the comic art used seems to showcase Hal Jordan covered in that iconic green aura and John Stewart shrouded in the more sinister yellow color, perhaps giving some hints about the show's plot.
What Are the Comic Origins of Hal Jordan and John Stewart?
Hal Jordan's life before becoming a Green Lantern and joining the original roster of the Justice League is fairly straightforward. Hal's father, Martin, was an airforce pilot who made a career out of testing the latest experimental technology the military had to offer. Tragically, that resulted in Martin dying in a plane crash, but that did little to stop Hal from becoming a dashing and cocky pilot like his old man. Hal's rebellious nature got him into quite a bit of trouble, but that didn't stop Abin Sur, a dying alien and Green Lantern Corp member, from choosing Hal as his successor. Once Abin Sur relinquished his ring and lantern battery, Hal officially became the Green Lantern, gaining the ability to use the ring's power to conjure up any object that he could imagine. Over the years he's fought many villains both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial, his arch-nemesis being his former mentor and leader of the fearsome Yellow Lanterns, Sinestro (played by Mark Strong in the 2011 movie).
Like Hal, John Stewart was also a member of the military before becoming a Green Lantern, though he was a boots-on-the-ground marine rather than a high-in-the-sky Air Force pilot. John also found himself continually questioning authority, refusing to follow orders that would put innocents in harm's way. This bravery in the face of powerful authority is exactly what both the Green Lantern Corps and later the Justice League look for in their members, so Stewart became an easy candidate to become another human Green Lantern alongside Hal Jordan and the third human Green Lantern Corps member, Guy Gardner. John Stewart's reputable career as a Green Lantern easily matched if not exceeded that of his predecessors, even accomplishing what no human ever had before by becoming a member of the Guardians of the Universe - the legendary galactic council that founded and oversees the Green Lantern Corps itself.
Do We Know Anything About the Plot of Lanterns?
The main details we know about the show's plot and tone came from Gunn himself in his announcement video. There, Gunn said that the series will primarily be a terrestrial adventure, meaning that the show will primarily take place on Earth. Gunn also said the series will essentially function as the DC Universe equivalent of True Detective, showing a crime/mystery genre may be in play. The promo art shown in the video also sees Hal clad in green and John in yellow. Anyone who knows Green Lantern knows that green signifies good and willpower while yellow signifies evil and fear, so perhaps Hal and John might be enemies rather than partners in the series. Gunn teased that Hal and John might not be the only Lanterns who appear, indicating that other comic Lanterns like Guy Gardner and Jessica Cruz might also show up. Finally, Gunn concluded the segment by saying that the main story of Lanterns will directly tie into the overarching core narrative of the DCU.
Who's Making and Starring in Lanterns?
The show's cast and crew, apart from being executive produced by James Gunn and Peter Safran, have not yet been announced. So we'll have to wait and see who will be wearing the rings in the long-awaited return of the Green Lanterns.