The Lanterns trailer wasn't supposed to be released until tomorrow, but after it was shared on YouTube early, the sneak peek has touched down (via ComicBookMovie.com) and received a mixed-to-negative response from DC fans.
Why? After all, we've been told from the start that DC Studios' take on the Green Lantern franchise would be a grounded murder mystery in the same vein as True Detective. Still, many are understandably upset that there's not so much as a hint at this being anything close to an epic space opera, and this preview is light on sci-fi action.
There have been rumblings in the past about HBO not necessarily wanting these DC Studios TV shows on the cable network. So, it's possible that the more comic book-y elements, like the Guardians of Oa and Green Lantern constructs, are being kept under wraps for now.
There's not a single shot of Hal Jordan or John's powers on display, aside from a brief moment with the former taking flight. We do, however, get to see a Green Lantern Power Battery.
Is DC Studios making a mistake by not embracing the comics? The shadow of 2011's Green Lantern still looms large, and a change was needed. We also can't discount the possibility that Lanterns ends in a way that allows a future story to be more in line with the comic books (adapting storylines like "The Sinestro Corps War" and "Blackest Night").
Lanterns showrunner Chris Mundy has described the upcoming HBO series as "as much of a buddy cop show as a superhero show." However, that means Hal (Kyle Chandler) and Aaron Pierre's John will butt heads.
"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 revealed. "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," the showrunner, who counts True Detective and Ozark among his credits, continued. "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 follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.
Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country) is serving as showrunner and executive producer and will write Lanterns with Damon Lindelof (Watchmen) and comic book scribe Tom King (Supergirl). The cast includes Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, and Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro.
Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Nicole Ari Parker, Jason Ritter, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Jasmine Cephas Jones round out the cast.
Lanterns is set to premiere on HBO in 2026.