Lanterns Season 2 Might Come Sooner Than Fans Think Thanks to New Update
HBO’s Lanterns premiered its opening episode on August 16, pairing Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) with rookie recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as the pair investigate a mysterious murder in Nebraska. Developed by showrunner Chris Mundy alongside Damon Lindelof and Tom King, the eight-episode season unfolds across dual timelines set in 2016 and 2026, exploring the Green Lantern Corps’ history and their activity on the planet. Lanterns earned overwhelmingly positive reviews, with fans also praising the first episode as a faithful and yet fresh take on the source material. So far, then, the show is a major win for DC Studios after Supergirl bombed at the box office. Surprisingly, while the show only aired one episode, the creative team is already looking well beyond Season 1.
“We’re just in the breaking-story stages,” Mundy told The Hollywood Reporter. “We’re about six weeks into laying out a season, and then we’ll talk to folks about it really soon.” Mundy’s comments confirm that a Season 2 story is already taking shape, even though DC Studios and HBO have yet to issue a formal renewal. The quotes also underline that Lanterns‘ writers’ room intends to lock down the full season’s story before bringing any pitch to the studio and network, which often leads to tighter storytelling. Finally, since they are deep into development, Lanterns could have a fully mapped season ready to go before Season 1 finishes airing, which would lead to a fast turnaround toward production. That’s great news for DC fans, who can help Season 2 become a reality by tuning in weekly at HBO.
What Could the Story of Season 2 of Lanterns Be?
Season 1 of Lanterns splits its runtime between 2016, when John Stewart’s recruitment into the Green Lantern Corps first begins, and 2026, where a wearier Hal Jordan is closing in on the end of his tenure as Earth’s protector. That structure gives the show room to build Stewart’s story from the ground up while filling in decades of Jordan’s history as the sector’s veteran Green Lantern. Nathan Fillion also joins the cast as fellow Corps member Guy Gardner, expanding the roster of Earth-based Lanterns the show has to draw from. With only one episode currently available, we are still unfolding the story, but Lanterns‘ mix of mystery and Corps mythology gives the series plenty of room to expand. For instance, we already know the first season will show how Guy Gardner and John Stewart got their own rings.
With the history of Earth’s Corps covered, Lanterns Season 2 could introduce Lanterns wielding other colors of the emotional spectrum as it takes Stewart further into space alongside the wider Corps. It could also adapt major comic arcs such as Blackest Night or Jordan’s fall into the villainous Parallax persona. Hopefully, Mundy and the creative team get the chance to keep building this corner of the DC Universe through more seasons.
Lanterns is airing new episodes weekly on HBO and HBO Max, every Sunday.
