I watched the first trailer for Lanterns multiple times these are the 7 biggest questions I have about the new HBO Max show

Date:
Sat, 07 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Description:
After HBO and DC Studios debuted Lanterns' first teaser, these are the things I'm most curious about.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get the TechRadar Newsletter Sign up for
breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter The first trailer for Lanterns has finally taken flight. Months after Lanterns ' first teaser was shown behind closed doors , HBO and DC Studios publicly released the first teaser for the sci-fi murder-mystery show on March 3 and it's already sparked plenty of discussion among comic-book fans. Lanterns | Official Teaser | HBO Max - YouTube Watch On Given that this is the DC Universe ( DCU ) TV series' inaugural teaser, there's not much we can glean about its story and cast of characters. There's only 90 seconds of footage to pore over, so we've been left with more questions than answers. Of those queries, there are seven that stand out to me, anyway. Here, then, are the biggest questions I have about Lanterns ' first trailer. You may like HBO Max 2026 preview video reveals first look at new seasons of House of the Dragon, Euphoria, The Pitt, and many more new HBO TV shows Supergirl trailer #1 wish list: 3 things I want to see in the DCU movie's first teaser and one I don't DCU Chapter One: every upcoming DC comic book movie and TV show, plus known release dates 1. What is the official release date for Lanterns? Sitting around waiting for that official release date to drop like... (Image credit: John Johnson/HBO) In short: we don't know. Its first teaser only revealed
that it'll arrive sometime in August.

That launch month won't surprise anyone who's followed Lanterns '
development. Last October, it was reported that Lanterns wouldn't air in
early 2026 as previously thought . One month later, those fears were realized when HBO boss Casey Bloys confirmed that Lanterns would air sometime in mid-2026 . Then, in December 2025, a 'new in 2026' HBO Max sizzle reel
trailer reaffirmed that Lanterns would arrive this year .

So, when will it premiere? In my view, much depends on House of the Dragon season 3 . The Game of Thrones prequel returns this June, but its official launch date hasn't been announced, either. If it lands an early-June release, its eight-episode run will be done by early August, thereby alowing Lanterns to fill the then-vacant primetime Sunday night slot on HBO. The longer it takes for House of the Dragon 's third season to come out, though, the later Lanterns is likely to arrive. 2. Where's the famous Green Lantern suit? So much for being Green Lanterns... (Image credit: HBO Max/DC Studios) Of all
the teaser's biggest talking points, this one has ruffled the most feathers among DC comic-book fans. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

For the uninitiated: members of the Green Lantern Corps essentially, they're an intergalactic space cop agency are famous for wearing bright, green
suits. However, the only glimpse we get of one of these costumes is a rather drab, largely brown and black jacket seen hanging in Hal Jordan's closet.

It didn't take long for fans to voice their displeasure over the reveal. Indeed, Reddit threads on r/DCULeaks , r/DCcomics , and r/DC_Cinematic are full of comments from disgruntled and perplexed fans about the grounded and gritty nature of Jordan's cosmic-hero attire. Heck, in some circles, the backlash has been so intense that the official HBO Max X/Twitter account responded in sassy fashion over the lack of green in the teaser. HBO is being sassy from r/DC_Cinematic As some more level-headed Redditors, such as SDLRob and Tricky-Afternoon6884 , have pointed out, there might be more to this than meets the eye. This might just be an old suit that Jordan used to sport, and/or may which have been handed down to him by a former human Green Lantern in Allen Scott. What to read next Supergirl trailer launch breakdown: all the news, analysis, and reaction to the new DCU movie's first teaser House of the Dragon season 3 trailer breakdown: everything we noticed in the Game of Thrones show's latest teaser True Detective season 5: everything we know
about the HBO Max show's return

Nevertheless, until the next DCU Chapter One show arrives and we get more context for this specific shot, expect more criticism to be leveled at its creative team. 3. What is Lanterns actually about? The plot of HBO's Green Lantern TV show is largely shrouded in mystery (Image credit: John Johnson/HBO) So far, we've only received a couple of details about Lanterns ' plot.

For starters, we know it'll star Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler as fan-favorite Green Lanterns John Stewart and Hal Jordan . Per a press release from HBO Max , the pair will be "drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland", too. Oh, and it'll be "as much a buddy cop show as a superhero one", according to one of its co-showrunners .

And... that's pretty much it. Sure, its debut teaser gives us a flavor of
what to expect from Lanterns , but this is a sci-fi whodunit whose plot is very much being kept under lock and key. 4. Who is the main villain in HBO's Green Lantern TV show? Sheriff Kerry will be conducting her own investigation into the death of someone important (Image credit: John Johnson/HBO) As for the culprit behind the crime that Stewart and Jordan are investigating,
that's not been publicly disclosed, either.

Some already know who Lanterns ' Big Bad is don't worry, I won't say who it is here after one star posted a major spoiler on social media last year. Luckily, this trailer doesn't ruin the surprise for more casual observers; let's hope Lanterns ' official full trailer doesn't when it arrives closer to launch. 5. What's Hal Jordan's story in Lanterns? Judging by the footage
we've seen, Hal clearly favors being a lone wolf (Image credit: John Johnson/HBO) Given the recklessness, cockiness, and sarcasm he displays in this two-minute teaser, it's clear that Chandler's Jordan retains many of the personality traits of his comic-book namesake.

What isn't clear and I'm sure Lanterns will cover this in flashbacks is his backstory. Will it play out in a similar manner to how he becomes a Green Lantern on the page? Or have Lanterns ' chief creators in Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King taken creative liberties with his origins?

Additionally, how long has he been operating as a Green Lantern? Why was he chosen to train Stewart? And why doesn't he consider Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, who we met in 2025's Superman , to be a proper Green Lantern? Hopefully, we'll get answers to all of those questions soon. 6. Why is John Stewart chosen to be the latest addition to the Green Lantern Corps? Why was John Stewart chosen to be the human race's next Green Lantern? (Image credit: John Johnson/HBO) As the show's co-lead learn more about its cast and other key details in my Lanterns guide Pierre's Stewart will have as big a part to play in its story as Chandler's Jordan.

However, while the comics hold some clues as to why they're paired up in the first place, this trailer doesn't tell us why Stewart has been handpicked to seemingly succeed Jordan as Earth's primary Green Lantern. We have no idea which of Stewart's numerous backstories his origins have been retconned a
few times Lanterns will pull from, either.

Like Jordan, I'm hoping HBO's Green Lantern TV series will provide answers in the present or via flashbacks when it premieres on some of the world's best streaming services . 7. Will any other Green Lanterns appear? Guy Gardner should have a role to play in Lanterns (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures) Yes at least one will, anyway. Fillion has already confirmed (per Entertainment Weekly ) that Gardner will show up at some point.

There are many, many Green Lanterns who could also appear, though so will
any of them? Jordan mentions there's a squirrel Green Lantern (their name is Ch'p, FYI), but that doesn't *ahem* shine a light on a potential cameo from said alien rodent. I guess we'll just have to wait for Lanterns to be
released in full to find out. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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