HBO's Lanterns Is Officially Changing Into an Entirely Different Show

Sep 17, 2026 - 19:09

0 0

HBO's Lanterns Is Officially Changing Into an Entirely Different Show

Published Sep 17, 2026, 11:19 AM EDT

So I guess Hal really is... *gulp*

Lanterns' premiere episode ended with a shocking reveal: Hal Jordan, Earth's first Green Lantern, has been murdered. Fans were surprised, and quickly whipped up theories about how Hal might actually not be dead, especially as Lanterns had stressed that several aliens can appear human and even change their appearance. Well, based on a new midseason trailer shared Thursday, it certainly seems like Hal Jordan is very much dead dead.

In the new trailer for Lanterns' remaining three episodes, we see John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Hal (Kyle Chandler) meet up in Rushville in 2026. Hal seems to have been in prison since the events of episode 5 (set in 2016), when the Manhunter brutally devastated the small town. They have a tense conversation and, as John says at the end of the trailer, have a long way to go to repair their fractured relationship.

Of course, their time is cut short as Hal soon dies, setting up the mystery John and sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) will presumably spend the rest of the season solving. Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and his bowl cut also pop up, as well as Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen), who gets a visit from John this time. By the looks of things, we might get a Hal Jordan origin episode, like how episode 3 was dedicated to telling John Stewart's origin throughout the decades.

"True Detective with superheroes"

Aaron Pierre (left) and Kyle Chandler in Lanterns.

Lanterns has been one of the best shows of the summer, and has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Polygon's Corey Plante called Lanterns "True Detective with superheroes" in his review. "In the best possible way, Lanterns also recalls the thematic heft of HBO’s Watchmen, which [Lanterns co-creator Damon] Lindelof developed. Both series use superhero mythology to examine the Black experience in America, especially the inherited trauma and the institutions that decide who gets to wield power," he wrote.

New episodes of Lanterns premiere on HBO and HBO Max Sundays at 9 p.m. EDT.