HBO’s Lanterns trailer reveals release date, turns DCU into True Detective

In brightest day, in blackest night, no teaser trailer shall escape my sight. On Wednesday, DC Studios and HBO shared the first trailer for the upcoming DCU Lanterns series, which is now on track to start streaming in August.

Lanterns stars two Green Lanterns, with Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart. While plenty of Green Lantern stories feature the ring-wearing heroes in space and on various alien planets, the HBO Max series will instead take place right here on Earth as the Lanterns investigate a murder in Nebraska. Jordan is training Stewart, but seemingly doesn’t want to be; “This is my job, and as long as I’m alive, that ain’t changing,” he says at one point.

They’re very much at odds with each other, as well as with local police, who aren’t too pleased they’re around.

Jordan and Stewart are two of many Green Lanterns throughout DC stories. Jordan is the more well-known Lantern, taking the lead in various comics runs as well as the much-maligned 2011 Green Lantern film starring Ryan Reynolds. Stewart, on the other hand, is well-regarded by nostalgic millennials (hi) as he was the main Lantern in the 2001 animated Justice League show and other projects in the DC Animated Universe.

When Lanterns drops on HBO Max sometime this year, it won’t be audiences’ first look at Green Lanterns in the DC Universe. Nathan Fillion had a sizable roll as the brash and bowl-cut-sporting Guy Gardner in last summer’s Superman and briefly reprised his role in season 2 of Peacemaker. He’ll also appear in Lanterns.

2026 is a big year for the DCU on the big screen as well. Supergirl, starring Milly Alcock as Supergirl and Jason Momoa as Lobo, will debut in theaters on June 26. After that, the next film in the DCU will star not Batman himself, but a Batman villain; Clayface, with Tom Rhys Harries playing the titular role, will be released on Oct. 23. Fans can also look forward to James Gunn’s Superman sequel as Man of Tomorrow is on the docket to be released on July 9, 2027.