DC's new ensemble TV show Lanterns will break a 74-year trend when it debuts in 2026. The new HBO series from DC Studios stars Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler as John Stewart and Hal Jordan, aka the titular Green Lanterns. The series will introduce familiar heroes into the new DCU, but Lanterns is setting itself apart from other DC superhero series in one major way.
For the first time since 1952, Lanterns will be the first live-action DC ensemble TV show to only feature two leading heroes. The show's duo of Hal and John make up the main heroic "team" referenced in Lanterns' title, but other DC team-up shows have typically featured more members in their titular ensembles.
Since DC's first live-action TV show, Adventures of Superman, aired in 1952, every series with a superhero ensemble in its title has featured more than two heroes. This is taking into account that duo-led series like Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman don't count in this instance, as one of the titular lead characters, Lois, is not a superhero.
Lanterns' lead duo will be a unique instance in superhero canon as the show narrows its scope to focus solely on Hal Jordan and John Stewart as its superhero leads - although other Green Lanterns are expected to make guest appearances. In doing so, the show will break a 74-year DC TV trend that began in 1952, making it a significant entry into the DCU. And this is not the only trend the DC series is breaking, with the first footage for Lanterns also being particularly unique.
Lanterns is created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, and is described as a True Detective-style buddy cop story, which will stream on HBO later in 2026.
DC's Live-Action Superhero Ensemble TV Shows
Birds of Prey
Before Margot Robbie's DCEU big-screen adaptation, DC's Birds of Prey was a 2002 TV show on The WB led by a trio of heroes: Huntress (Ashley Scott), Batgirl (Dina Meyer), and Dinah Lance (Rachel Skarsten). Birds of Prey lasted only one season of 13 episodes, but it was one of the first superhero TV shows of the modern era, airing alongside Smallville on the WB.
DC's Legends of Tomorrow
In 2016, The CW's successful superhero TV universe, the Arrowverse, introduced its first ensemble series. DC's Legends of Tomorrow was a combination of heroes from already established Arrowverse shows, and new ones from DC comics lore.
The group typically included Black Canary/Sara Lance (Caitly Lotz), Ray Palmer/Atom (Brandon Routh), Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill), Martin Stein/Firestorm (Victor Garber), Jax/Firestorm (Franz Drameh), Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (Ciara Renee), Mick Rory/Heatwave (Dominic Purcell), Leonard Snart/Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller), and Carter Hall/Hawkman (Frank Hentschel).
Titans
DC's Teen Titans have long been popular in comics and animated series, and their first live-action TV adaptation ran for 4 successful seasons. The young DC superhero team comprised of its leader, Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites), Starfire (Anna Diop), Raven (Teagan Croft), and Beast Boy (Ryan Potter). Titans eventually added other leading heroes to the ensemble, including Superboy and Robin.
Doom Patrol
2019's Doom Patrol series was released first on the short-lived DC Universe, before moving to HBO Max. The superhero show followed the unlikely team of tragic heroes, including Jane, Elasti-Woman, Mr Nobody, Negative Man, Robotman, and Cyborg.
While separate from the other DC TV shows at the time, Doom Patrol did briefly have some crossover with other ensemble shows in the Arrowverse and Titans.
Watchmen
Before working on Lanterns, showrunner Damon Lindelof brought another superhero show to life in HBO's Watchmen - a miniseries retelling of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' seminal comic. Watchmen featured a large ensemble cast in a variety of unconventional superhero roles, including Regina King, Yahya Abdul-Matteen II, Tim Blake Nelson, and Don Johnson.
The series was notably quite different from Zack Snyder's big-screen adaptation of Watchmen, but was very well received, scoring Emmy wins and high critics' scores.
Gotham Knights
The most recent ensemble TV venture from DC was Gotham Knights, the last new superhero show from The CW to date. The series focused on a group of misfit teens and descendants from Batman lore, including Bruce Wayne's adopted son, Turner Hayes, siblings Cullen and Harper Row, Carrie Kelley/Robin, and Duela, the Joker's daughter.
Gotham Knights followed the unlikely team as they worked together to become Gotham's protectors and unravel the mystery of Bruce Wayne's murder.
