DC Studios' Lanterns trailer drew mixed reactions, but HBO Max clearly isn't worried. After roughly five months since Peacemaker Season 2 finished in October, fans finally have the trailer for the DCU's next live-action show, Lanterns. Sadly, the first look at the eight-episode HBO Original has left the internet divided, with many noticing a distinct lack of Green Lantern-esque elements in the trailer.
HBO Max made it clear that it isn't phased by Lanterns' recent controversy over a general lack of green in the trailer, most notably in its superhero suits. The streamer shared a picture of a green bowl that Hal Jordan is seen eating from in the trailer and pondered, "What do you mean there's no green?"
But that won't be the only bowl, as Superman star Nathan Fillion will be back as another Green Lantern, Guy Gardner, in his third DCU appearance, complete with his infamously awful bowl cut ripped straight out of the comics.
More specifically, HBO Max responded to a post on X with the caption, "Oh my god bruh where is the GREEN he’s a GREEN LANTERN."
That post from @FwSanjipiece included a shot from the trailer of Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan taking flight with no green glow around him, something that is usually standard for Green Lanterns in DC Comics due to their light-based powers.
While some have expressed hopes that Jordan and John Stewart will glow green when flying in the finished product, putting the issue down to unfinished CGI, that is unlikely to be the case. In last year's Superman, Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner didn't emit light in flight either, making this likely more of a DCU-style choice.
Lanterns' biggest controversy so far came from Jordan's superhero suit, which lacks much green for a Green Lantern costume. Furthermore, the suit appears to be made of leather and a Kevlar-like material, as opposed to being a light-based construct that spawns from the ring, as it often is in DC Comics.
The DC Studios has been plagued by some degree of mixed reactions from the beginning, especially due to its casting of 60-year-old Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler as a veteran space-cop Hal Jordan on the verge of retirement, while Rebel Ridge star Aaron Pierre joins him as superhero rookie John Stewart.
Should DCU Fans Be Worried About Lanterns?
DC Studios is making a strange 180-degree turn with Lanterns, having embraced vibrant comic-booky designs with Superman and Peacemaker Season 2, only to now pivot to something more grounded and literally down to Earth.
Lanterns is created by all-star talent that includes Chris Munday (Ozark), Damon Lindelof (Lost), and Tom King (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow), with Emmy-winner Kyle Chandler and Rebel Ridge star Aaron Pierre starring in the DCU epic.
That creative team, both on and off camera, paints a clear picture that Lanterns could be something special, which is why it is airing as an HBO Original. However, its strange style and story choices, namely grounding DC's space cops on Earth, have raised concerns about how well it will adapt the Green Lantern mythos.
Even if the DCU's two Green Lanterns are introduced in a more grounded HBO series, that's not to say they won't fly high to handle sci-fi matters in the future. In fact, if Lanterns proves successful, it could open the doors to a true Green Lantern movie, embracing the character's cosmic nature in a bigger way.
Regardless, it should be noted that this was just the teaser trailer for Lanterns, and DC Studios could change a lot, especially visually, before it hits HBO in five months' time in August. There's also a chance that Lanterns is hiding a much bigger picture that won't become clear until the eight-episode show premieres.
