Lanterns Series Premiere Review: A Confident Start for Gunn's DCU

Lanterns debuts on HBO and Max on August 16, and based on its first episode, the DCU finally has the win it badly needed. This is one of the first major entries in James Gunn and Peter Safran's rebooted DC universe not directly directed by Gunn himself — and it largely holds up.

The show is exactly what the trailers suggested: less cosmic superhero spectacle, more True Detective-style murder mystery set in the remote town of Rushville, Nebraska. Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan rarely even suits up, and given how clunky the live-action Green Lantern costume looks, that turns out to be a smart call. The series draws on creative veterans from both True Detective and Slow Horses, and it shows — the tone is grounded, quietly stylized, and more interested in character tension than ring-slinging set pieces. Green Lantern purists chasing comic-accurate cosmic action will likely be frustrated. Everyone else has a real shot at enjoying this.

The road to premiere was bumpy. Co-creator Damon Lindelof's public comments stirred enough controversy that Grant Morrison publicly pushed back, and the early marketing did little to reassure skeptical fans. That context matters, because Lanterns arrives at a moment when the DCU's credibility outside of Gunn's own projects is genuinely in question — Supergirl has already dented confidence in the slate's consistency. Gunn's own work, from Creature Commandos to Superman to Peacemaker, has been well-received, but handing the reins to other creators is a different test entirely.

What makes the premiere work is the dynamic between Chandler's Hal Jordan — hostile, grizzled, convinced he's being phased out — and Aaron Pierre's John Stewart, a former Marine who wants the ring but has zero patience for Hal's attitude. The two clash hard in episode one, and the show makes clear that their friction is the real engine of the series, not just the murder investigation. If the rest of the season sustains that chemistry, Lanterns could be a genuine turning point for the DCU.