DCU’s ‘Lanterns’ Pushed Back to Late Summer 2026

DC Studios’ upcoming series Lanterns has been delayed to the end of summer 2026. The series will air on HBO and stream on HBO Max.

CEO Casey Bloys shared the update during a slate presentation in New York City on Thursday. A firm release date will be announced later.

The show follows intergalactic cops Hal Jordan and John Stewart, played by Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre. They are drawn into a dark mystery on Earth, investigating a murder in the American heartland. Kelly Macdonald and Nathan Fillion also star.

Lanterns was given a straight-to-series order in June 2024 and will have eight episodes. It is part of the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.

The series was initially expected to debut in early 2026, possibly around the same time as the film Supergirl. However, reporting from The Hollywood Reporter later clarified that Lanterns would come after Supergirl, and HBO confirmed the delay to the end of summer 2026.

The series has a detective-style approach inspired by shows like True Detective and Slow Horses. Development for a Green Lantern series began with Greg Berlanti in 2019. After James Gunn and Peter Safran became co-CEOs of DC Studios in 2022, the project was redeveloped. The series was officially ordered by HBO in mid-2024, with creators Mundy, Lindelof, and King involved.

James Hawes directed the first two episodes, while Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Alik Sakharov also directed. Mundy, King, and Lindelof wrote the pilot and series bible by May 2024. Writers Justin Britt-Gibson, Breannah Gibson, and Vanessa Baden joined the team and worked closely with the actors to make sure they understood the characters fully, rather than focusing on a specific comic era. Filming took place in Los Angeles from February to July.

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