NEBRASKA — The DC Universe series Lanterns will premiere on HBO Max on August 16, 2026. A teaser trailer for the series was released in March, interweaving gritty aspects with superpowers and intergalactic elements.

According to 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." The show carries two storylines: one set in 2016 centered on a murder in Nebraska, and a second set in 2026. Showrunner Chris Mundy told Men's Health that Lanterns is both a gritty buddy-cop series and a superhero series.

Kyle Chandler plays Hal Jordan, a former test pilot nearing retirement from the Green Lantern Corps who trains new recruit John Stewart Jr., portrayed by Aaron Pierre, to replace him. "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."

The supporting cast includes Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, who appears in the teaser, and Kelly MacDonald as Kerry, a small-town family-oriented sheriff. Jason Ritter plays Billy Macon, Garret Dillahunt plays William Macon, and Poorna Jagannathan plays a character named Zoe. Ulrich Thomsen plays Sinestro, a former Green Lantern Corps member who has gone rogue, and Paul Ben-Victor plays an extraterrestrial called Antaan.

Sherman Augustus plays John Stewart Sr., with J. Alphonse Nicholson portraying the younger version of the character. Nicole Ari Parker plays Bernadette Stewart, while Jasmine Cephas Jones plays a young version of the same character. Chris Coy plays a truck driver named Waylon Sanders, and Cary Christopher plays a child named Noah. Laura Linney and Paula Patton will appear in as-yet-undisclosed guest roles.

Lanterns will feature the inter-dimensional prison and the Checkmate organization introduced in the Peacemaker Season 2 finale. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn said the events of the series will set up other things within the DCU as a whole.