Written by Tanner Stein
The Green Lanterns make their return to the DCU! The trailer for Lanterns was released, introducing us to the world of Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and more of the Green Lantern mythos.
The trailer focuses on Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler, Godzilla: King of Monsters), preparing John Stewart (Aaron Pierre, Mufasa: The Lion King), to be a part of the Green Lantern Corps. Focused around a small-town murder mystery, Hal and John believe that there’s more to the story, involving the alien species known as “manhunters.” While the teaser left a lot to be desired, the SDCC trailer delivers on giving fans plenty of what they expected out of a Lanterns show. Green constructs, alien species, and a look into the rest of the DCU Universe.
Lanterns not only introduces Hal and John into the DCU, but gives fans a first look at Hal Jordan’s greatest foe, Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen, Banshee). Sinestro is locked away in prison, meaning Lanterns will dive into this history between Hal and Sinestro, a rivalry that hasn’t been done justice in any live-action adaptation. The trailer gives another look at Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, who was last seen back on Earth in Peacemaker Season 2.
People weren’t sold on an older Hal Jordan having to train a young, inexperienced John Stewart. The trailer reveals that Hal may be ready to retire from the hero business, leaving John as his replacement. While it doesn’t seem wise to send off Hal Jordan this early into the DCU, it lets other Green Lanterns get the spotlight that has been shining on Hal for years.
This trailer also surrounds the story around Hal, leaving him as the teacher not only for John but for the viewer as well, letting us into the Green Lantern Corps and their history.
While originally bashed for how grey the series looked, similar to the MCU grey that has become ever-so famous, the trailer makes sure to add some color. The constructs that are shown pop with green, but not too much to where it feels out of place. When not on Earth, the sets truly feel out of this world, showing off more of the DCU’s outer space side that fans saw in Supergirl (2026).
This trailer mentions the existence of “manhunters,” an alien species that can mimic the appearance of anyone. The existence of “manhunters” running around Earth, harming people, while leaving the Green Lanterns to clean up the mess is a great premise for a story, especially if you want to keep Hal and John on Earth to interact with other heroes.
When announced, many problems surrounded Lanterns. It looked too dull, the story wasn’t all there, and there were worries about Hal Jordan already being kicked to the curb; the trailer for Lanterns helps to disprove any of those claims. Lanterns looks to be a fun, action-packed, emotional story introducing the DCU to the Green Lantern Corps and the mythos behind them.
