James Gunn’s DC Studios Suddenly Removes Trailers For Upcoming Superhero Show

DC Studios and HBO have pulled the trailer for one of the most anticipated series of 2026.

Lanterns will feature Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, with a supporting cast including Kelly MacDonald, Garret Dillahunt, Jason Ritter, Nicole Ari Parker, Ulrich Thomsen, and Nathan Fillion. The series was created by Damon Lindelof, Chris Mundy, and Tom King. It draws inspiration from True Detective and Slow Horses, taking a more grounded approach to the DC mythos than the likes of 2025’s Superman.

Within the last week, however, DC has removed the trailer for Lanterns from most of its official platforms. This prompted a wave of speculation among audience members, something furthered by the backlash the trailer received for its tone and color grading. Upon its release and comments from Lindelof about removing the “green” from Green Lantern, legendary comic writer Grant Morrison shared their take:

‘Green Lanterns’ is a much more evocative and dramatic title than ‘Lanterns’, (just as ‘Raise the Red Lantern’ is a better movie title than ‘Raise the Lantern’), and anyone who can’t grasp why that is shouldn’t be anywhere near superhero stories. The show might even be good, but how much better could this stuff be if studios were willing to hire the right people for the job instead of phoning their embarrassed friends to water the source material down? Hollywood will die of insularity and inbreeding.

Lindelof ultimately responded by apologizing and reiterating his “care so much about Hal, John and the entire Corps.” Despite this apology, the backlash was swift and wide-sweeping, with even Man of Steel director Zack Snyder chiming in. Naturally, some have suspected that this color controversy has affected the choice to take down the Lanterns trailer.

Recently, the DCU series also received a new teaser poster. Depicting Hal and John standing inside of a Green Lantern ring, the graphic features the tagline “only one can wear the ring.” The trailer hinted that Hal was training John to be his replacement, so the slogan could refer to that, or it could spell out a grim fate for one of the heroes.

Given that Pierre is confirmed to reprise his role as John in Man of Tomorrow, it seems likely that the series will resolve with him officially taking up the Green Lantern mantle. This does not, however, confirm that tragedy will befall Hal, as it’s likely he simply looking to retire. Regardless, this tonally distinct series will have far-reaching implications for the DCU moving forward.

Despite the trailer being pulled, the debut date for the series has not been publicly changed, and the latest poster still features the original release window. Lanterns releases in August of 2026, though a specific day has yet to be revealed.

Lanterns

Release Date

August, 2026

Network

HBO

Showrunner

Chris Mundy

Directors

James Hawes

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  Aaron Pierre

  John Stewart

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  Kelly Macdonald

  Sheriff Kerry