After weeks of fans wondering whether Lanterns was secretly just True Detective with slightly better lighting, HBO has finally unleashed the thing people actually wanted to see:
Power ring action
A brief new teaser for the upcoming DCU series dropped today ahead of tomorrow’s full trailer reveal, and this time the footage actually leans into the giant glowing cosmic insanity associated with the Green Lantern Corps.
In the standout moment, red laser fire rains down from above as Hal Jordan creates a massive green energy construct shield using his power ring to protect civilians below. Which immediately feels more like Green Lantern than the intentionally grounded first trailer did. Watch below:
Danger is part of the job.
New #Lanterns teaser tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Ycfpsh6zsh— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 17, 2026
The original footage for the HBO series sparked mixed reactions online after many fans complained the show seemed oddly restrained visually for a franchise literally built around giant space cops weaponizing imagination itself.
There was also criticism that the series appeared too grim, too grounded, and not nearly “green” enough.
This teaser? Much harder to make that complaint now. The footage also arrives amid growing curiosity surrounding how far the series plans to lean into the larger cosmic mythology of DC Studios’ rebooted universe under James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Recent comments from the creative team confirmed that Season One will largely focus on an earthbound mystery involving veteran Lantern Hal Jordan and new recruit John Stewart rather than diving fully into the intergalactic side of the mythology.
That has left some longtime fans nervous.
Especially since Green Lantern adaptations historically haven’t exactly had the easiest road onscreen. Still, today’s footage suggests HBO may finally be showing audiences the larger-scale spectacle they’ve been waiting for.
The series stars Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, with additional cast members including Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan and Jason Ritter.
Behind the scenes of Lanterns, the creative lineup is equally notable, with Damon Lindelof, Tom King and showrunner Chris Mundy steering the project.
Mundy recently described one of the show’s biggest creative challenges as balancing the grounded humanity of the characters with the larger mythology fans expect. “We wanted to make both Hal and John relatable and human in surprising ways,” he said.
The series reportedly follows the two Lanterns as they investigate a murder in the American heartland, giving the show a detective-thriller structure layered beneath the sci-fi mythology.
So yes, there’s still some “True Detective in space” DNA here. But now there are also giant glowing shields blocking laser fire.
Which honestly feels like a pretty fair compromise.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
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