Lanterns Trailer Has DC Fans Officially Convinced It Will Rock: “Like Secret Invasion If It Was Good”
As San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) 2026 marches on, thrilling reveals and unexpected announcements continue to be rolled out, and now, that includes a major update on the highly anticipated new DCU TV show Lanterns. Specifically, during a panel focused on the upcoming show, which has an August 16 release date on HBO Max, the first trailer was finally unveiled, offering fans a sneak peek at what is to come.
Among the most notable elements of the trailer were the first appearance of Sinestro, the unexpected confirmation that the Manhunters will be the main villains of the series—or, at least, season one of the show—and, of course, plenty of shots of Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). While superhero trailers are almost always going to be a toss-up, as Avengers: Doomsday just proved earlier this week, fans seem fairly excited about this upcoming series. And, notably, they’re actually drawing some direct comparisons to the MCU because of it.
Lanterns Might Remind Audiences Just How Bad One MCU Show Was
Although trailers are never going to have a perfect reception, fans have largely responded to this new Lanterns trailer with enthusiasm, which is great news considering this show has been positioned as critical for the overall DCU moving forward. Among the messages expressing support for the show, though, have come some comments about the MCU, and they’re frequently not favorable. In fact, just one of the strays the MCU caught following the release of this trailer was a comment left on a Reddit post, reading, “It’s like secret invasion if it was good.”
This is a reference to what is widely considered one of the MCU’s worst TV shows, Secret Invasion, which was released in 2023. Frustratingly, Secret Invasion had everything going for it, and it should have been a slam dunk of a show. After all, the plot centered in large part on Nick Fury, who is not only a cool character in his own right but is also played by movie legend Samuel L. Jackson.
It seems unfathomable that the MCU could so thoroughly botch such a story, and Secret Invasion had even come on the heels of other major MCU TV show successes like WandaVision and Loki. In theory, that should have given it a solid foundation. Nevertheless, this show was an undeniable flop, with a plot that was both messy and uninteresting and a range of character choices, such as revealing that Rhodey had been replaced by a Skrull before the show took place, that infuriated fans.
For now, Lanterns seems to be on a much better track, at least if the online response to the trailer is any indication. Of course, only time will tell if this show really is shaping up to beat out the MCU, be it Secret Invasion or beyond it.
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