James Gunn has revealed when fans can expect to see Lanterns and its placement in the DCU timeline. Nearly two years after James Gunn announced his slate of projects for the DCU Chapter 1, “Gods and Monsters,” it is finally about to kick off with the debut of Creature Commandos on Dec. 5, 2024. Creature Commandos will open the floodgates for many projects, including Superman, Peacemaker Season 2, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Lanterns.
Speaking with IGN, Gunn revealed that Lanterns will be released by HBO around the same time as Supergirl makes it to the big screen. He originally placed it before Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow in the timeline, saying, “It’s really Creature Commandos, Superman, Peacemaker, Lanterns, Supergirl, and then some things people don’t know.” When asked if Lanterns would be released before Supergirl, he clarified and said, “We’ll see when it comes out, but they’re around the same time.” This allows Lanterns a bit of wiggle room regarding its release, but it will be released in 2026.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be released on June 26, 2026. With Gunn implying how close Lanterns would release if it were to hit HBO before, that would imply an April or May release date, and possibly March if they wanted to build off the green theme for a Saint Patrick’s Day tie-in. If it were after Woman of Tomorrow hits theaters, Lanterns could debut in August 2026. A one-month gap between a film and a series will resemble Superman‘s July 11, 2025, release date and Peacemaker Season 2 reportedly debuting in August 2025. Gunn has been adamant that the only projects being made are the ones with polished scripts, and it seems Lanterns is in that select category alongside the aforementioned titles.
James Gunn’s DCU Is Already Very Connected
Lanterns premiering around the same time as Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow hints that the two cosmic-themed DC projects will be linked and build on what has been established in the DCU. Gunn has already commented about how Creature Commandos picks up shortly after Peacemaker Season 1 and then how Superman will shortly follow the events of Creature Commandos. While Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is set in space, Lanterns will bring the property down to Earth to investigate a mystery that might have larger implications for the wider DCU. Described as a sci-fi version of True Detective, the upcoming DCU show looks to continue the momentum initiated by The Penguin, a gritty crime drama set in another cinematic universe from DC.
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Filming on Lanterns is set to begin in January 2025, and the series has already assembled an impressive cast that includes Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) and Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge) as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively. The supporting cast includes Kelly Macdonald (Trainspotting), Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope), and Poorna Jagannathan (Never Have I Ever). After Warner Bros. seemingly being embarrassed by Green Lantern for over a decade following the 2011 film, leaving the character out of the DCEU and struggling to get the previous Green Lantern HBO series off the ground, it certainly is nice to see Lanterns not only moving along but getting a big push within the new DCU.
Lanterns
- Writers
- Chris Mundy , Damon Lindelof
- Network
- HBO