Lanterns teaser OUT: Chris Mundy brings Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart to the DCU

The first teaser trailer for Lanterns has officially been released, offering audiences an early look at HBO’s darker and more grounded take on the Green Lantern mythology within the expanding DC Studios universe.

Lanterns teaser out

Rather than leaning fully into large-scale cosmic spectacle, the teaser positions the series as a mystery thriller with strong detective elements. Set largely on Earth, Lanterns follows veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan and rookie recruit John Stewart as they investigate a murder in Nebraska, only to uncover a conspiracy that appears much larger and more dangerous than they initially expected.

The series stars Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, a legendary member of the Green Lantern Corps nearing retirement, and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, the younger Lantern being trained to eventually replace him.

The teaser focuses heavily on atmosphere, isolation and tension rather than traditional superhero action. Wide shots of rural America, dimly lit crime scenes and cryptic dialogue suggest that the show is aiming for a more restrained tone compared with many recent comic-book adaptations. The dynamic between the experienced Jordan and the inexperienced Stewart also appears to form the emotional centre of the story.

In DC Comics lore, the Green Lanterns are intergalactic peacekeepers empowered by rings that grant extraordinary abilities fuelled by willpower. While previous live-action portrayals of the characters largely focused on space-based adventures and visual spectacle, Lanterns appears to be taking inspiration from grounded crime dramas while slowly unfolding its larger science-fiction elements.

The project has drawn particular attention because of the creative team behind it. The series was created by Chris Mundy alongside Damon Lindelof and Tom King. Lindelof’s involvement especially sparked interest among comic-book fans given his previous work on HBO’s critically acclaimed Watchmen adaptation.

Mundy also serves as showrunner, while the directing team includes Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel and Alik Sakharov. Filming reportedly took place in Los Angeles between February and July 2025.

Lanterns is scheduled to premiere on HBO on August 16, 2026, and will consist of eight episodes as part of the DCU’s first major chapter, Gods and Monsters.