When Lanterns premieres on HBO on Aug. 16, it’ll be armed with two of the greatest weapons in the known universe: a Power Ring and Laura Linney. The second trailer for the highly anticipated DC Comics-derived show reveals that the Emmy-winning star of The Big C will be joining James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s rebooted DC Universe. The two-minute Lanterns spot also shows just how much firepower is contained in the rings that emerald knights Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) wear on their digits.
And based on this latest trailer, it looks like Pierre’s Stewart has a special connection to Linney’s yet-to-be-identified character. A new addition to the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, John has been partnered with veteran enforcer Hal to learn the ropes of being a Lantern. But he’s dubious about the qualifications of his supposed mentor, noting that Jordan sometimes uses the Power Ring for less-than-super ends — like counterfeiting money.
The more he watches Hal in action, the more John becomes convinced that the ring is being carried by the wrong man. “I’ll do this better than he’s ever done it before,” he tells Linney. “Then go and get it, John Stewart,” she replies.
Watch the new Lanterns trailer above and read on for everything else to know about the series.
What is Lanterns about?
Take the acclaimed AMC procedural Dark Winds and add some superhero costumes and you’ve got the basic idea for Lanterns, which sends Hal and John into America’s heartland on the trail of a murderer. It’s a terrestrial mystery for Earth’s two Green Lanterns, one that keeps them grounded instead of flying off to keep the peace on distant worlds.
The “space cop” idea is a longtime part of the Green Lantern mythos. Originally introduced in the pages of DC Comics by Martin Nodell and Bill Finger in 1940, the character really came into his own with Jordan’s Silver Age debut in 1959. Stewart followed in 1971, later joined by other Lanterns like Guy Gardner (recently seen in Gunn’s Superman movie, where he was played by Nathan Fillion, who also appears in Lanterns), Kyle Rayner, and Jessica Cruz.
What binds all the different Lanterns together is their shared mission to protect and serve their designated planet, as well as the rechargeable power rings that give them their powers. And based onthe trailer, Hal and John are going to need every iota of power to deal with what’s coming.
Who else is involved?
Besides Chandler and Pierre, the Lanterns cast includes Trainspotting‘s Kelly Macdonald. Behind the camera, the trio of Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King serve as cocreators and cowriters of the pilot. James Hawes helms the first two episodes, with Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel and Alik Sakharov directing subsequent installments. The roll call of executive producers includes Mundy, Lindelof, Gunn, Safran, King, Hawes and Ron Schmidt.
What are its awards prospects?
When it comes to the Primetime Emmys, DC has led its Marvel-ous rivals in recent years. Lindelof’s Watchmen series was an awards monster, with 26 nominations and 11 wins. And The Penguin was a big Bat-hit at last year’s ceremony, scoring 24 nominations and nine wins, including Cristin Milioti for Best Limited/Movie Actress. Even Peacemaker has also found some Emmy affection with 2022 nod for stunt coordination. Since Chandler is an Emmy winner for Friday Night Lights and Pierre headlined the Emmy-winning TV movie Rebel Ridge, Lanterns already carries plenty of awards pedigree. With Marvel TV’s Wonder Man only causing a minor ripple back in January, Lanterns could easily become 2026’s prestige superhero show of choice.
When can I see it?
Lanterns premieres August 16 on HBO and HBO Max.
This post was previously published on March 4; it has been updated with the new trailer.
