‘Lanterns’ Trailer: Green Lantern Gets the ‘True Detective’ Treatment in DC Studios HBO Series

“Superman” may have come out in 2025 (with HBO Max shows “Creature Commandos” and “Peacemaker” shortly before that), but 2026 will always be remembered as the year when James Gunn and Peter Safran’s iteration of DC Studios truly began to materialize. It’s the first year that the Warner Bros. division has released multiple films and shows under their leadership, with projects as diverse as “Supergirl,” “Clayface,” and “Lanterns” demonstrating the duo’s vision for an interlocking series of superhero properties that are free to develop their own unique tones.

On Friday, San Diego Comic-Con attendees got their best look yet at “Lanterns,” the upcoming HBO series that has often been described as a superhero take on “True Detective.” The noir-tinged series stars Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two members of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lanterns, as they team up to investigate a murder in the heartland of Nebraska.

The show’s first trailer, which debuted during DC Studios’ Hall H panel, illustrated its commitment to using traditional cop show tropes on a comic book property. Chandler’s Jordan is shown as the more experienced member of the Green Lanterns force, even having to show his new partner how to use their signature green rings that enable them to fly. The trailer promised friction between the two partners as they’re reluctantly forced to work together. The footage also teased appearances from DC film characters including Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner.

The cast also includes Laura Linney, Kelly MacDonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Ulrich Thomsen, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Sherman Augustus, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Jason Ritter, Chris Coy, and Paul Ben-Victor.

“Lanterns” is co-created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, with Gunn and Safran serving as executive producers.

“Lanterns” premieres on HBO and streams on HBO Max on Sunday, August 16. Watch the trailer below.