Before the James Gunn-produced Lanterns hits HBO Max, DC shared a look at an exciting new Green Lantern costume. DC Studios is quickly diving into Green Lantern lore more than past iterations of the DC Universe, which started on the big screen with 2025's Superman. This will continue into 2026, both via television and in the pages of DC Comics.
DC Comics shared the first look at a new costume for Kyle Rayner's variant of Green Lantern. DC Comics' Green Lantern #600 (per Bleeding Cool) included the image of Rayner, who dons a full-body Lantern suit that mainly uses a black and white color scheme on the chest. Green plating covers his arms and parts of his legs, and his mask is also green.
This look is one of many Rayner has used in the comics over the years. Below is a different recent look at the character, which uses the same black and white color combination for the body, along with green gloves and boots.
Comparing the two costumes, the Green Lantern logo is relocated to the center of the chest, rather than the upper left shoulder. The green designs are also modified in the new variant cover, giving all three colors in the palette a fair share of the spotlight.
Another older Rayner costume used much more green in the look, putting the Lantern logo on his upper left chest and featuring green across the shoulders and chest. His mask is also much bigger, coming further down his cheekbones and up onto his forehead.
Rayner also wore a full facemask in his Green Lantern costume, which completely covered his face, except for his forehead and hair. This costume used white gloves and a big logo on the chest.
In a much different variant, Rayner ditched the classic Green Lantern look for a blue costume when he joined the Blue Lantern Corps. This version of the Lantern uses hope for power rather than will.
One take on Rayner's suit gives him armored shoulder wings and fingerless gloves, and his mask covers up a big portion of his face over his mouth.
Kyle is also unique in Lantern Corps history, as he united the power of all seven Corps and transformed into a White Lantern in The New 52 continuity. This happens after he masters the seven powers of the emotional spectrum and dons a white and grey suit to represent the White Lanterns.
DC Studios is already on its way toward building its Green Lantern Corps, starting in 2025's Superman. Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, an already established member of the Corps, donned a primarily black and white costume in his debut, which showed his allegiance to the Justice Gang along with his status as a Lantern.
Fillion's suit shares some similarities with Rayner's suit from the comics, including the use of white on the chest and the angular design across the outfit.
2026 will introduce two new Lantern Corps members into the DCU, one being Kyle Chandler's depiction of Hal Jordan. While fans have not seen Hal's costume yet, he will be a veteran of the Corps looking for a replacement on Earth.
Alongside Hal Jordan, Aaron Pierre will take on the responsibility of playing Lanterns' leading hero, John Stewart. While his costume is still being kept hidden, John Stewart will be a new recruit to the Lantern Corps upon his debut in 2026.
James Gunn's DC Studios is currently prepping for its release of Lanterns, the first Green Lantern-centric show in the new DC Universe and one of three projects coming in 2026. Starring Aaron Pierre, Kyle Chandler, and Ulrich Thomsen, the show will highlight Hal Jordan finding Aaron Pierre as a potential replacement for him in the Corps as they investigate an undisclosed event on Earth. Lanterns is set to debut on HBO Max in late Summer 2026.
What To Expect From DCU Green Lantern Costumes
Considering the recent delay to Lanterns' release date, fans are still waiting to learn what John Stewart and Hal Jordan will wear in the DCU as Green Lanterns. Even so, this new look at Kyle Rayner may tease some ideas for what to expect from the design in the 2026 Green Lanterns show.
The suit is likely to incorporate some of the angular and futuristic designs from recent DC Comics runs, as seen in Nathan Fillion's suit from Superman. This would also enhance the practicality of the pair's costumes, moving away from the completely CGI-generated look that Ryan Reynolds and his Corps used in the ill-fated 2011 Green Lantern movie.
Considering the show is now not being released until late Summer 2026 (potentially in July or August), DC Studios may opt not to release a full trailer until early 2026.
Additionally, considering that this show will likely be surrounded by major movie releases featuring Supergirl and Clayface, DC might need to employ some unique marketing tactics to ensure Lanterns gets its due shine in the Chapter 1 slate.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
