After 15 Years of Jokes, DC Fans Think 'Lanterns' Finally Got Green Lantern Right
For fifteen years, the Green Lantern name has been a punchline. The 2011 film starring Ryan Reynolds was so thoroughly rejected by audiences and critics alike that Reynolds himself made a running joke out of it for years afterward. DC Comics fans have wanted a real shot at the characters ever since and on May 18, HBO finally gave them reason to believe one is coming.
The network dropped a second trailer for Lanterns, the upcoming eight-episode series premiering August 16 on HBO and HBO Max, and it answered just about every complaint fans had about the first one. The initial teaser, released in March, leaned so heavily into slow-burn detective drama (think True Detective in the heartland) that some viewers worried the show might forget it was about superheroes. One viewer's post asking where all the green was racked up hundreds of thousands of views when HBO playfully trolled them back with a photo of a green plastic basket.
The new footage leaves no room for that argument. Lanterns stars Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) as Hal Jordan, the veteran Green Lantern, and Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge) as John Stewart, a newcomer handpicked by the founders of the intergalactic police force known as the Lantern Corps. The trailer shows both actors in full costume, rings blazing, with Chandler's Jordan conjuring constructs and telling Stewart flat out 'this ring is the most powerful weapon in the universe.' The show runs across two timelines, a 2016 investigation into an alien-connected shooting in rural Nebraska, and a 2026 storyline set after the events of last year's Supermanfilm, with the mysteries intersecting as the season builds.
Reactions to this new trailer have been overwhelmingly positive. One commenter summed up the generally feeling like this: 'Now this is more like it. Let's gooo'.
The trailer also formally introduced Laura Linney to the cast, though her role remains under wraps, and confirmed that Nathan Fillion is returning as Guy Gardner from Superman. Sinestro, one of the most iconic villains in Green Lantern history, is played by Ulrich Thomsen.
The creative team is formidable. Showrunner Chris Mundy (Ozark) co-created the series alongside Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers) and comics writer Tom King. James Gunn and Peter Safran, the architects of the new DC Universe, executive produce.
What makes Lanterns worth watching for an audience beyond comic book devotees is likely the central tension the show is built around. It's two very different men with very different ideas about what it means to be chosen, and what you owe the people counting on you. That's a feeling that works for a lot of people whether you know Green Lantern lore or not.
The show arrives August 16. The ring, apparently, says they're ready.
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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 6:42 AM.