HBO's 'True Detective Meets DC Comics' Show Looks So Good, Season 2 Is All But Confirmed

An upcoming HBO Max show will combine the best elements of True Detective and the DCU superhero franchise, and it looks so good that it's basically already renewed for a second season. HBO Max is best known for prestige television dramas like The Pitt, The Sopranos, and True Detective. Some of the best shows ever made have come from HBO, and the streaming service has made a name as a premiere source of TV dramas.

HBO Max is also the main home of James Gunn's DCU movies and shows, like Superman 2025 and Peacemaker. All the old DCEU movies are already available on the streaming service, and upcoming DCU movies like Supergirl will be available to stream once their theatrical runs end. As far as superhero content goes, HBO Max's only real rival is Disney+, which houses the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

These two sides of HBO Max are both important to the streamer, but they rarely overlap. The gritty and grounded drama of a show like True Detective doesn't usually mesh well with the fantastical powers and sci-fi stories of something like Superman. An upcoming DCU show, however, is set to change that. Lanterns, which follows the titular superhero Green Lantern, already seems like a prestige television show, and it already seems so good that its chances of being renewed are all but guaranteed.

Lanterns Will Combine The Grounded Mystery Of True Detective With DC's Superhero Powers

Based on what DC has revealed about the show and the Lanterns trailers that have been released so far, it looks like the perfect combination of grounded murder mystery and sci-fi superhero action. The superhero side of that blend of genres is quite evident, as Lanterns will chronicle Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) training John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as a new Green Lantern. Some of the trailers have already highlighted Hal using the Green Lantern ring to create energy projections and even fly.

While Lanterns has already showcased some classic superhero fare, from Green Lantern's suit and powers to hints of classic comic book villains making an appearance, it has also established itself as a grittier and more serious show than some other DCU offerings. James Gunn, the head of the DCU as a whole, has publicly compared Lanterns to True Detective for both its tone and its plot.

Lanterns will reportedly see Hal and John investigating a murder in rural America that they quickly discover is part of a much larger conspiracy. Obviously, the exact details of the mystery are under wraps, but that premise alone makes Lanterns seem like a police procedural. Gunn's True Detective comments, the motif of fear in the trailer, and Green Lantern's history of having fear as an enemy, all point to the show being a very gritty and mature mystery thriller.

Lanterns Season 2 Already Looks Promising Months Before Season 1 Premieres

Lanterns is set to premiere on HBO Max on August 16, but even though the first season is still months away, season 2 already looks very promising. The premise of Lanterns alone, of combining the prestige drama of True Detective with the thrills and action of a DC superhero story, is one of the biggest indicators of that. James Gunn and the DCU seem to have a very compelling formula for a show on their hands, and it's not a stretch to imagine Lanterns lasting several seasons.

There are also real-world indications that Lanterns season 2 is all but confirmed. Christopher Cantwell recently revealed that he had joined the creative team of Lanterns for season 2, for example. While that's not an outright confirmation that the show is being renewed, as shows will often work on new seasons before an official confirmation is in order, it is a very promising sign that the show's creators are already working on future seasons.

Lanterns has also teased that the show could introduce Parallax, a classic Green Lantern villain. Parallax is the embodiment of fear in the DC universe and the source of the Yellow Lanterns' power, which would make it the most powerful villain in the entire DCU to date. Lanterns could introduce the first villain powerful enough to unite the Justice League. If it does, it would be an absolutely essential part of the DCU, and Parallax's introduction could be important enough to make Lanterns season 2 a sure bet.

It's too early to tell for sure, especially considering Warner Brothers and DC haven't made any official statements one way or the other, but everything we know about Lanterns so far makes it seem like this series will least get a second season. The premise of combining a gritty police procedural with a superhero show, DC's real-life preparations for the show's future, and the possibility of it introducing the Justice League's first adversary, all point to Lanterns being a must-watch show for anyone with HBO Max.