Marvel Studios Already Released Its Own Version of DC's Lanterns 5 Years Ago

Five years ago, Marvel Studios showed off much of what will be seen in 2026's DC Studios' Lanterns. DC Studios is about to deliver its first live-action Green Lantern project in well over a decade, featuring both John Stewart and Hal Jordan as part of the Lantern Corps. However, considering how many comic book projects have been released across the entertainment industry in the last few years, it is no surprise that it bears some similarities to material fans have already seen.

DC Studios is nearly ready to release its third streaming series, Lanterns, on HBO Max, starting on August 16. Ahead of its release, the new DC show seems to have a few similarities to Marvel Television's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the MCU's second Disney+ show released in 2021.

6 Similarities Between DC's Lanterns & Marvel's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Mystery/Thriller Genre & Conspiracy Plot

Lanterns' main plot centers around a mystery in a small Nebraska town, in which multiple murders are uncovered while John Stewart trains with Hal Jordan to become a Green Lantern. The first two trailers tease plenty of mystery while also embracing the thriller genre within the overarching superhero story.

This is similar to what happened in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which brought its own unique mystery feel to the MCU. The two titular leads learn about the recreation of the Super Soldier serum while investigating the Flag Smashers. This leads them to the Power Broker, whom the audience eventually learns is Sharon Carter.

Buddy Cop Dynamic Between Two Leading Heroes

Buddy cop stories are no small part of the Hollywood landscape, with Lanterns embracing that same theme behind John Stewart and Hal Jordan. The show will at least start with Jordan training Stewart in the ways of the Green Lantern, though their relationship is not easy for either of them to manage.

This same dynamic is also highly prominent in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which brings Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes together for the fifth time in the MCU. Described as inspired by Lethal Weapon before the show debuted, Sam and Bucky had to put aside plenty of differences in how they operated to work together, eventually coming to respect one another and forming a close bond.

Passing-of-the-Torch Narrative

While Lanterns will show Hal Jordan training John Stewart, the new DC Studios series is also expected to be something of a "passing-of-the-torch" story for the two leads. Chandler's long-term future as Hal Jordan in the DCU is still unknown, but with Aaron Pierre already set to return in 2027's Man of Tomorrow, this show is sure to track John Stewart's development into the hero he is expected to become.

This same transition happened in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which took place after Steve Rogers passed the Captain America mantle to Sam Wilson. After struggling with the change and even passing the title off to Wyatt Russell's John Walker, who took over as Cap, he eventually heeded Bucky's pleas to take on the responsibility of carrying the shield.

Story Told on a Massive Scale

Lanterns will be the first DC Universe project to feature intergalactic elements, given that the Lantern Corps is a classically non-Earthly entity. Although it will take place exclusively on the franchise's main planet, fans expect to get a glimpse into how the Corps operates outside of Earth's atmosphere and see some of the team's classic extraterrestrial villains as well, including Sinestro.

While The Falcon and the Winter Soldier does not have any intergalactic elements, it takes Sam and Bucky all over the world on their mission to take down the Flag Smashers. Using multiple United States cities for the story, along with the newly introduced Madrioor in Southeast Asia, this story became a global affair that featured characters from multiple major nations.

Third Party Character Contending for Leading Hero's Mantle

Along with Hal Jordan and John Stewart, Lanterns will bring Nathan Fillion back for a third DCU appearance as Guy Gardner (this one giving him more than a few F-bombs). While Gardner is not usually regarded as the main Green Lantern in the DCU, he could challenge for the mantle, considering Earth is usually not supposed to have a representative in the Green Lantern Corps.

Fillion's role in this show could be similar to Wyatt Russell's in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where he made his MCU debut as John Walker. Walker took over the Captain America mantle after Sam Wilson put the shield to rest, putting him in almost direct competition with the titular lead of the show for the superhero role.

Villain With Conflicting Allegiances

Ulrich Thomsen will make his DCU debut in Lanterns as Thaal Sinestro, classically known as one of the main villains of the Green Lantern Corps in DC Comics. However, like many Lantern stories, he will be depicted as the Lantern who trained Hal Jordan, giving them a close relationship before he eventually becomes more of an antagonist.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier used a character who has similarly toed the line between hero and villain: Daniel Brühl's Helmut Zemo. Originally used as the main villain in Captain America: Civil War, Zemo assisted Sam and Bucky on their quest to take down the Flag Smashers and the Power Broker; he even returned to the Raft at the end of the series.