DC Studios is making up for many mistakes with its HBO Max series Lanterns, including an Arrowverse adaptation that left a lot to be desired. Despite Marvel Studios hogging all the attention at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, DC Studios also had a presence at the convention. James Gunn and Co.'s big-ticket item was Lanterns, a series that starts its eight-week run on HBO Max on August 16, 2026.
A new trailer was released alongside Lanterns' panel at SDCC, which continues to emphasize the rivalry between Hal Jordan and John Stewart. The two just don't see eye-to-eye, with Hal believing he's done enough over the years to keep his standing and John wanting to bring a new perspective to the Green Lantern Corps.
At some point, the hatchet has to be buried. Not only because DC Studios will need clarity as to who Earth's top space cop is, but also because there's a major threat to face. The latest Lanterns trailer unveils the Manhunters as the series' big villain. And these evildoers are not of the Martian variety; they're ancient robots that the Guardians of the Universe created before the formation of the Green Lantern Corps.
The Manhunters have made limited appearances outside of the comics, with the most notable one being a brief stint on the Justice League animated series. However, the Arrowverse did try to borrow an aspect of their comic book lore. Like many swings by The CW, though, it didn't do the source material justice.
In Arrow Season 3, Oliver Queen and his closest confidant, John Diggle, traveled to Corto Maltese to track down a missing ARGUS agent, Mark Shaw. It didn't take the vigilantes long to find him, and they caught him red-handed as he attempted to sell classified information. Once the party was over, Diggle knocked Shaw out and left him to fend for himself. And that was all she wrote for Shaw in the Arrowverse.
DC Comics views the character as far more than a generic turncoat. He began his journey as an attorney at his wit's end after years of seeing criminals escape justice. The Manhunters offered him a new path by bestowing him with incredible power and sending him after the Guardians. Eventually, Mark realized he was being taken advantage of and returned with a new identity, the Privateer.
Shaw landed in prison for a time, putting him on Task Force X's radar. As a member of the Suicide Squad, he tried to do as much good as bad, putting all the mess with the Manhunters behind him.
DC Studios has an opportunity to offer Shaw live-action redemption by putting him in Lanterns and making him an agent of the Manhunters, who have their eyes on Earth. Of course, there's a chance the powers that be aren't at all concerned about another franchise's mistakes. After all, they have bigger fish to fry as they build up a franchise to compete with the MCU. But DC Studios is already making good on an Arrowverse promise, so there's no harm in doubling down.
The Arrowverse Never Followed Through On Its Green Lantern Tease
It's no secret that The CW was fighting with a hand tied behind its back while mapping out its superhero franchise. Characters like Batman and Superman were off-limits initially, leaving B-tier heroes like Green Arrow and The Flash to pick up the baton. And they did their job for several years, holding down the fort for DC at a time when the movies couldn't. That didn't stop fans from wishing for more, though.
A popular theory began to take shape during Arrow's later seasons that claimed John Diggle was secretly John Stewart and would put on a green ring before the series came to an end. The CW leaned into the idea by giving the character a connection to the "Stewart" name and revealing that one of his variants took the oath.
Arrow's final episode turned the dial up to 11 by having Diggle come across a glowing green box as he and his family prepared to leave Star City behind. Other Arrowverse shows picked up on that thread and forced Diggle to choose between the ring and his family. He made the only choice he could, much to the dismay of fans who waited for years to see him suit up as someone other than Spartan.
DC Studios isn't going to put its version of John Stewart between a rock and a hard place. Based on the marketing for Lanterns, the former military man knows what he wants and is willing to do whatever it takes to get it. And while DC Studios would probably prefer the mystery stays alive, it's hard to imagine he doesn't succeed because he's set to appear in Man of Tomorrow, a movie that's going to need heroes with incredible powers, not ones lusting after them.
