First Lanterns Trailer Reveals HBO's Green Lantern Reboot

Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner started the live-action rehabilitation of the Green Lantern corps in "Superman," and now HBO's "Lanterns" is continuing that quest. Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King's buddy cop take on the Green Lanterns Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) is set to hit HBO Max in August 2026. Its first teaser trailer is now online, and by the looks of it, the show will most definitely be nothing like the 2011 Ryan Reynolds "Green Lantern" film — commonly known as one of the worst superhero movies ever made. 

Much of the plot of HBO's "Lanterns" is still largely under wraps, apart from DC Studios head honcho duo James Gunn and Peter Safran's intent to take Hal and John in a "True Detective"-style direction. From the looks of the trailer, "Lanterns" intends to do precisely that ... and DC Universe fans can brace themselves for something truly exciting. 

The "Lanterns" trailer offers us some glimpses into the history of the Green Lantern corps, including a nod to the squirrel-like Green Lantern, Ch'p. However, it largely focuses on the uneasy chemistry between the jaded veteran Hal and the trainee Lantern John. We get glimpses of costumes, flight, the Green Lantern rings, and the iconic Green Lantern power battery — but most of the runtime is devoted to Hal and John doing "True Detective"-esque things in a small town that doesn't seem to welcome them with open arms. 

Apart from "True Detective," the main inspiration here seems to be Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams' classic Green Lantern and Green Arrow title "Hard-Traveling Heroes," which features the characters in realistic adventures that tackle real-world problems instead of usual supervillains threats. It's highly likely that the show still has a few surprises up its sleeve — for instance, Guy Gardner will be a part of the proceedings in one form or another — but it already seems that the show is something DC fans will definitely want to witness.   

"Lanterns" premieres on HBO Max in August 2026.