SDCC 2026: Lanterns Hall H Panel (Live Updates)

Thank you for joining us! Please return tomorrow for our continued live coverage of San Diego Comic-Con 2026 in Hall H. We'll begin our pre-show coverage of the "Star Trek Universe" panel at 11:30 a.m. PT (2:30 PM ET). We'll follow that up with coverage of the "Marvel Studios" panel at 4:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. ET).

The panel is over. The first of eight episodes premieres on August 16. 

The whole crowd is reciting the Green Lantern oath. 

The scene continues with a big fight between Jordan and Stewart. Stewart tries to take the ring before a light and buzzing sound appears to distract them. 

Hal Jordan flies down to the surface of a planet and meets with Sinestro in a prison. He asks him what he knows about Manhunters. Sinestro says, "If any still existed, they'd be the second greatest threat." He implies that Stewart is Jordan's biggest threat. Jordan admits that Stewart is his replacement.

One more clip!

Here's a bit of news: Laura Linney is playing a Guardian! Aaron Pierre says she is like "an auntie to me."

New clip: Macon tells Jordan that the sheriff will allow him to interview the man he thinks is an alien, but there is a foreboding sense that they're not getting along as well as everyone acts. Macon makes a comment about "eating off another man's grill." Jordan is confused, but Stewart reluctantly explains that he slept with Macon's wife. Jordan says, "I'm impressed. We've only been here 24 hours."

New clip: Hal Jordan is playing the same song on the jukebox repeatedly, intentionally annoying customers to provoke a fight that will result in time in jail, where he can interview someone he thinks is an alien. Stewart begins talking with Zoe at the bar, as they watch Jordan fight with others. Stewart says he's patient about playing backup quarterback to Jordan, but Zoe senses he isn't as patient as he lets on. 

In the latest clip, Stewart is in a cell at the sheriff's station. Gardner is shining his green lantern ring in at him. Stewart says, "Gardner, turn that sh** off." End clip.

Nathan Fillion is here with another clip!

Stewart walks into a restaurant. He's dressed in a Marine uniform. He meets a man in a booth, who chides him for wearing his uniform, when the intention was to be discreet.

The man gives him info on a target. It's supposed to be a very difficult target. They lost contact with the other team months ago. When offered a panic button, Stewart refuses it, but the man suggests that he "get his affairs in order" before leaving.

The man inquires about Stewart's father, noting he had "some struggles."

Next scene: Stewart is jumping out of a plane in horrible weather. His parachute crash lands through trees and he disappears into water, before the clip ends.

Another scene now....

Aaron Pierre says that he tore his bicep just before performing for the audition callback. He performed in a brace. He had a matter of months to rehabilitate before the shoot. 

Jordan is interrogating a man named Waylon. He asks the man a variety of specific questions about Nebraska. The man answers them very well, but he struggles with one question: "Where did Harry Potter go to school?" He later struggles to offer any opinion on the presidency of Barack Obama, which Jordan finds extremely suspicious for a rural Nebraskan.

While the interrogation happens, Sheriff Kerry shares an interesting theory about Jordan with Stewart. She says he's not fearless, he just doesn't care about anyone.

Waylon eventually admits that he is an alien. He has a biometric neutron device woven into his skeleton that he can trigger with a mere thought. Jordan is undeterred: "Are we talking or exploding because it's almost lunch time?"

Waylon recites the Green Lantern's oath before triggering the explosion. Jordan creates a protective barrier around Waylon in order to shield himself and others from the destruction.

Chris Mundy is talking about the approach to CGI. He says they wanted it to be "of nature." He says they were making adjustments up to the very last minute.

Another clip now!

Aaron Pierre: "Every single creative element on screen... You can feel the family, the unit. Of course, we want it to major success, but regardless of what happens, we poured our heart into it."

Aaron Pierre: "Less than 20% of the shoot was at the Warner Bros lot. We were like a traveling company."

Kyle Chandler is emphasizing how much he got along with Aaron Pierre while working on set. Chandler also makes quite a declaration about his own character: "He is kind of an idiot and an a**hole."

Aaron Pierre: "My hope is that when people watch this, they walk away with a tangibility... John wasn't born with the superpowers that some of his contemporaries were." 

Eventually, Stewart admits to being somewhat displeased by not having worn the ring at least once since "training" began. In the end, Jordan jumps out of the car and leaves Stewart to protect himself as the vehicle goes over a cliff.

Jordan says that he plans to meet up with him later, but he goes to a taco stand in the meantime, where he poses for pictures with fans. As the two reconnect, Stewart tells Jordan that he made bubblewrap with the ring in order to survive the car crash.

The first clip from the series is being played now. It's from the first episode. Hal Jordan picks up John Stewart in his vehicle. The two aren't especially chatty at first, but Jordan acts surprised that Stewart won't admit to being unhappy with him for abandoning for two weeks.

The cast and crew are on stage right now! The only missing series regular is Kelly Macdonald, who plays Sheriff Kerry.

"Lanterns" fans are excited to get a look at the new series! One particularly devoted fan even brought a custom-built ring that glows in the dark.

Some quotes from the new trailer:

"What do you know about Manhunters?"

"Manhunters are the most dangerous species in the universe."

Of course the Green Lantern oath is also heavily featured.

The "Lanterns" panel is starting now. James Gunn is not present due to directing "Man of Tomorrow," but he sent a video message along supporting the cast and crew. New trailer dropping now.

"The Vampire Lestat" panel just wrapped up with the usual cast + crowd photo and good news for fans of the series. The panel included news that the show is renewed for Season 4, which will be titled "Queen of the Damned."

The "Lanterns" panel will begin in less than 10 minutes! 

We should also expect to spend some time in this panel with series co-creators Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King. Though this is Mundy's first work in a comic book franchise, most SDCC attendees will likely recognize the other two names immediately.

Lindelof was the co-showrunner on ABC's "Lost" before creating HBO's "The Leftovers" in 2014. Perhaps most prominently for SDCC attendees, he also created the 2019 HBO TV series "Watchmen," based on the beloved comic series of the same name.

King, on the other hand, is largely new to television production, but like Lindelof, he'll be plenty familiar to this crowd. King has an extensive career in comic books (both DC and Marvel). He is best known for penning the 2021-2022 comic series "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow," which served as the inspiration for this year's "Supergirl" film.

Of course, SDCC is also known for its fair share of unannounced appearances. While he's not on the list, it wouldn't be a big surprise to see Nathan Fillion at the panel. Fillion, of course, played Guy Gardner, the famously arrogant Green Lantern, in the 2025 film "Superman." He is expected to reprise the role at some point in this series.

Rather conveniently, Fillion will also be present at the convention on Saturday for the upcoming ninth season of "The Rookie."

According to SDCC's official schedule, the following series regular cast members are confirmed to attend:

• Kyle Chandler (Hal Jordan)
• Aaron Pierre (John Stewart)
• Garret Dillahunt (William Macon)
• Poorna Jagannathan (Zoe)

Of all the series at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, the timing and setting is probably most perfect for "Lanterns," which is due to release its first episode on HBO on August 16.

The new show is said to be a dark and gritty take on the beloved DC comic. Those involved in production have compared the series to HBO's "True Detective," with "Lanterns" director James Hawes even going so far as to say, "It's a buddy cop movie.. and then somebody flies!"

While many SDCC attendees likely have fond memories of Green Lantern from the comic books or other media, the same cannot necessarily be said for much of the general public. The 2011 "Green Lantern" film starring Ryan Reynolds was so widely reviled that the "Deadpool" actor later used Marvel canon to erase his past self before he could accept the role.

If the new series hopes to escape that history, it would seem they have quite a change of tone in mind! 

It's been a busy several hours in Hall H since we started coverage on "Blade Runner 2099" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." After the Prime Video panel concluded, AMC followed up with separate panels focused on two SDCC mainstays: "The Walking Dead: Dead City" and "The Vampire Lestat."

Interestingly, the featured AMC series are in significantly different airing schedules. While "The Vampire Lestat" aired its third season finale on July 19, "Dead City" is set to begin airing its third season on July 26.

Cast and crew members featured in the first panel for "Dead City" included:

• Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan)
• Lauren Cohan (Maggie)
• Aimee Garcia (Renata)
• Raúl Castillo (Luis)
• Scott Gimple ("Walking Dead" chief content officer)
• Seth Hoffman (showrunner and executive producer)

The panel for "The Vampire Lestat" just now opened with the first-released footage from a one-night-only concert event recorded in June at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. The full concert video will premiere on AMC+ on August 23.

Welcome to Looper's live coverage of DC Studios' "Lanterns" panel from Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con 2026.

Before we get started, if you missed our live coverage of Prime Video's "Blade Runner 2099" and "The Rings of Power" presentation earlier today, be sure to check it out.

We're inside Hall H and will be bringing you live updates as fans file in ahead of the 1:30 p.m. PT panel.