When the decision was made to see James Gunn and Peter Safran ascend to the helm of affairs at DC Studios, much was expected of the duo. Gunn and Safran soon set off to roll out Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, kicking things off with Superman (starring David Corenswet), which premiered in July 2025. Next up, Supergirl (starring Milly Alcock) premiered in June 2026, albeit offering a rather disappointing showing at the box office. While Superman got the rebooted DC Universe (DCU) off to a solid start, the subsequent stumbles surrounding Supergirl have arguably eroded much of that early momentum, leaving the studio’s next release carrying the burden of restoring confidence.
And so the baton falls to Lanterns, the newest live-action series from DC Studios. Upon its announcement, the upcoming series was quickly dominated by conversations surrounding how exactly the show might express itself. The HBO series was pitched as “True Detective with Green Lanterns,” which promised a far more grounded mystery centered on Hal Jordan and John Stewart that stood apart from the larger cosmic adventures one would typically associate with the Corps. 2026 is proving itself to be one of DC’s busiest stretches in years, as it follows up Supergirl with its next highly anticipated release in Lanterns.
The HBO series will premiere on August 16, which, at the time of writing, is this coming weekend. Lanterns follows the Green Lantern Corps and the dynamic between Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). In October 2025, while speaking to Men’s Health, showrunner Chris Mundy described the show as “as much of a buddy cop show as a superhero show.” Lanterns will see veteran Green Lantern, Hal (Chandler), try to teach rookie John (Pierre) the ways of the Corps even as they get dragged into a murder mystery that just might involve the Corps’ ancient foe, the shapeshifting, robotic Manhunters. The arrival of Lanterns over the coming weekend arrives on the wings of record-breaking buzz as its official trailer has already racked up 24 million views in three days, making it the most-viewed DC series trailer on HBO Max.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Personality Quiz Which Sci-Fi Hero Are You Most Like? Paul Atreides · Captain Kirk · Princess Leia · Ellen Ripley · Max Rockatansky
Five iconic heroes. Five completely different ways of facing an impossible universe. One of them shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of refusing to back down. Eight questions will tell you which one.
🏜️Paul Atreides
🖖Capt. Kirk
✊Princess Leia
🔦Ellen Ripley
🔥Max Rockatansky
01
How do you lead when the stakes couldn’t be higher? The way you lead under pressure is the most honest thing about you.
02
What is your greatest strength in a crisis? The quality that keeps you alive when everything else fails.
03
What is the thing you’d sacrifice everything else for? Your deepest motivation is your truest compass.
04
How do you relate to the people around you? Who you are to others under pressure is who you really are.
05
You’re facing a threat that no one else believes is real. What do you do? How you respond when you’re the only one who sees it defines everything.
06
What has your heroism cost you personally? Every hero pays. The question is what — and whether they’d pay it again.
07
How do you feel about the rules of the world you’re in? Every hero has a relationship with the system. What’s yours?
08
When everything is on the line, what keeps you going? The answer is the most honest thing about you.
Your Hero Has Been Identified Your Sci-Fi Hero Is…
Your answers point to the iconic sci-fi hero who shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of facing the impossible.
Arrakis · Dune
Paul Atreides
You carry a weight most people would crumble under — the knowledge of what you’re capable of, and the burden of what you might have to become.
You see further ahead than others and you plan accordingly, even when the vision frightens you.
You are driven by loyalty to your people and a sense of destiny you didn’t ask for but can’t escape.
Paul Atreides is not simply a hero — he is someone who understands the cost of power and chooses to bear it anyway.
That gravity, that willingness to carry what others won’t, is exactly you.
USS Enterprise · Star Trek
Captain Kirk
You lead with instinct, warmth, and an absolute refusal to accept a no-win scenario — because you’ve always believed there’s a third option nobody else has thought of yet.
You take the mission seriously without ever taking yourself too seriously.
Your crew would follow you anywhere, not because you demand it, but because you’ve earned it.
Kirk’s genius isn’t tactical — it’s human. He reads people, bends rules with purpose, and wills outcomes into existence through sheer conviction.
That combination of warmth, audacity, and relentless optimism is unmistakably yours.
The Rebellion · Star Wars
Princess Leia
You are the kind of person who holds the line when everyone else is losing faith — not because you’re fearless, but because giving up simply isn’t something you’re capable of.
You lead through conviction. Your voice carries because your belief is unshakeable.
You gave up everything ordinary the moment you chose the cause, and you’ve never looked back.
Leia is not a supporting character in her own story — she is the moral centre of the entire rebellion.
That same fierce, principled, unbreakable core is what defines you.
The Nostromo · Alien
Ellen Ripley
You are not reckless, not grandiose, and not particularly interested in being anyone’s hero — you just refuse to stop when it matters.
You see threats clearly, you document the truth even when no one listens, and when the time comes you handle it yourself.
Ripley’s heroism is earned, not performed. She doesn’t have a speech — she has a flamethrower and a plan.
You share her composure under the worst possible pressure, and her refusal to pretend the monster isn’t there.
When it counts, you don’t flinch. That’s everything.
The Wasteland · Mad Max
Max Rockatansky
You have been through fire that would break most people — and what came out the other side is something the world underestimates at its peril.
You don’t ask for help, don’t need validation, and don’t wait for anyone to tell you the rules no longer apply.
Your loyalty, when it finally arrives, is absolute — but it’s earned in silence and tested in action, not in words.
Max is not a nihilist. He is someone who lost everything and found, against his will, that he still has something worth protecting.
That bruised, stubborn, ultimately human core is exactly yours.
What Lies Beyond ‘Lanterns’ for DC Studios?
With films set around the individuals from Krypton and in the aftermath of Lanterns’ eight-episode first season, which will end its run in early October. DC Studios will look to debut its Clayface horror film, directed by Speak No Evil‘s James Watkins. The project stars Tom Rhys Harries and is set to arrive in theaters October 23, 2026. “Meet the new face of Gotham” is how DC has chosen to describe the movie as a packed fall calendar looms for fans.
Looking ahead, Gunn is poised to return to Metropolis soon, as a confirmed Superman sequel is already shooting in Atlanta. Man of Tomorrow will see Corenswet reprise his role even as Metropolis comes alive in set photos. A Man of Tomorrow spin-off series is reportedly in development, which would make it the fourth announced spin-off connected to the original Superman film. A separate series centered on Mr. Terrific is also reportedly in the works as well. Meanwhile, the sequel is set to introduce a third Kryptonian character beyond Superman and Supergirl.
Lanterns premieres on HBO Max on August 16, 2026. Stay tuned to Collider for updates.
