Lanterns, the new DC Universe series coming to HBO Max, dropped a surprising teaser in March that swapped the usual superhero hijinks for gritty realism more in the vein of True Detectives and Slow Horses. Personally, I liked the change; it pushed a series that was barely on my radar to my 2026 list of ones to watch. I guess HBO was concerned people would miss the superhero vibes, though, because the latest teaser trailer interweaves the grittier aspects with a lot more superpowers and intergalactic elements. And you know what? I’m still here for it.
Per the official logline, “The series follows new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.” There will be two storylines: one set in 2016 about a murder in Nebraska, and the second set in 2026.
Chandler’s Hal Jordan is a former test pilot nearing retirement from the Green Lantern Corps. He’s training Pierre’s John Stewart Jr., a new recruit, to replace him. Nathan Fillion reprises his Superman role as the obnoxious Guy Gardner; we get a brief glimpse of him in the new teaser. The cast also includes Kelly MacDonald as Kerry, a small-town family-oriented sheriff; Jason Ritter as Billy Macon, Kerry’s husband; Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, Kerry’s cowboy father-in-law; Poorna Jagannathan as a woman named Zoe; Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro, a former Corps member who’s gone rogue; and Paul Ben-Victor as an extraterrestrial called Antaan.