Guy Gardner makes a cameo in new Lanterns teaser

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.

Sherman Augustus plays John Stewart Sr., with J. Alphonse Nicholson playing the younger version; Nicole Ari Parker plays Bernadette Stewart (mother to John Jr.), with Jasmine Cephas Jones playing the young version of the character. In addition, Chris Coy plays a suspiciously nervous truck driver, Waylon Sanders; Cary Christopher plays a gifted child named Noah; and Laura Linney and Paula Patton will appear in as-yet-undisclosed guest roles.

We also know that the show will feature the inter-dimensional prison and the Checkmate organization introduced in Peacemaker’s S2 finale. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has said that the events will set up other things within the DCU as a whole. So, is it a gritty buddy-cop series or a superhero series? Showrunner Chris Mundy recently told Men’s Health that it’s very much both.

“Our show is in a lot of ways about replacement—when should someone step aside and when is it time for the next person to take the reins?” Mundy said. “That push and pull between those two characters is really important. So much of the power that John has is by not taking the bait, understanding that you lose your power if you’re yelling and screaming. That’s what we’re trying to convey: He knows he belongs, so he doesn’t have to overcompensate. There’s a real balance there that’s just innately inside of Aaron. He’s big. He’s an intimidating presence just physically. But there’s a softness to him, too. There’s a thoughtfulness. You can’t teach that.”

Lanterns premieres on August 16, 2026, on HBO Max.