DC Studios is looking to build on a successful 2025 with an even bigger 2026, releasing key projects on both the big and small screens. Sandwiched between feature films Supergirl and Clayface is the TV series Lanterns, which brings the Green Lantern IP back into the live-action spotlight for the first time since the ill-fated 2011 movie starring Ryan Reynolds. Seeing Hal Jordan and John Stewart team up should be an exciting event for DC fans, but the pre-release buzz surrounding Lanterns has been far more polarizing than people would like. A lot of this stems from the marketing materials, which have emphasized a grounded, mature filmmaking and storytelling approach.
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When one thinks of the Green Lantern Corps, images of grand, cosmic adventures battling interstellar threats probably come to mind. In DC Comics, the Corps consists of thousands of beings from across the universe, uniting a variety of species against enemies. Lanterns looks to be the polar opposite of that, with its muted color palette and Earth-bound story about Hal and John traveling to a small town to solve a mystery. Lanterns‘ general aesthetic is why some DC fans have taken issue with the series thus far, but the show is delivering exactly what was promised.
Lanterns‘ True Detective Approach Shouldn’t Be Surprising to DC Fans
In January 2023, James Gunn officially unveiled the first slate of projects for the DCU’s “Gods and Monsters” chapter. Over time, this lineup has gone through some changes (there was no mention of Man of Tomorrow, for instance), but some things have stayed the same. One of the first TV shows Gunn revealed was Lanterns. When describing the series, Gunn said it was “a terrestrial-based TV show, which is almost like True Detective with a couple of Green Lanterns.” The comparison was there before a single frame of Lanterns was ever shot.
Granted, hearing that a new show is “almost like True Detective” is a bit different than seeing actual footage that makes it look exactly like DC’s answer to True Detective, which is probably why the first teaser caught some fans off guard. But for those who have been following the DCU from the beginning and remembered Gunn’s comments, there was no surprise. Lanterns is clearly emulating the look and feel of True Detective while putting its own spin on the formula. Much like HBO’s hit crime drama, at the heart of Lanterns is the dynamic between two partners (Hal and John), and much of the entertainment comes from watching them interact with each other. They have a mentor/mentee relationship that can be tense at times, as John is eager to prove himself worth of the Green Lantern power.
The common ground between the two shows goes beyond aesthetic similarities and character dynamics. Lanterns is borrowing a key page from the True Detective playbook regarding story structure. It’s been confirmed that the series covers two distinct time periods in the DCU’s history. There’s one part set in 2016, where John Stewart is the backup Lantern should anything happen to Hal Jordan. The other takes place in the present day. The first season of True Detective made great use of flashbacks, which helped flesh out the main characters as well as the primary mystery driving the plot. It remains to be seen how Lanterns handles this, but when dual timelines are involved, the goal is to have them dovetail together in a way that’s satisfying, bringing everything together. True Detective didn’t feel disjointed, and if Lanterns is executed properly, it won’t either.
Throughout pop culture history, there are numerous examples of studios putting out misleading marketing materials, which ultimately give fans the wrong idea of what to expect. That doesn’t appear to be the case for the Lanterns promotional campaign. Obviously, the previews are holding some things back to preserve spoilers for the story, but the best trailers are the ones that highlight the basic elevator pitch for a project without giving too much away. One look at the Lanterns trailer, your takeaway would likely be “it’s True Detective, but DC,” which is exactly what Gunn has been teasing for three years.
Lanterns Is a Great Idea for a DC TV Show
As the DCU looks to establish itself, Gunn has underscored the importance of making sure each movie and TV show has its own unique tone. He’s trying to emulate what’s been done in the comics, where a variety of titles boasted a distinct style and approach, but were all still part of the larger DC universe. From a creative perspective, this is a smart way to keep the DCU feeling fresh in the eyes of viewers, ensuring things don’t become too homogenous (which could negatively impact interest). Each installment is an exciting experience that can bring something new to the table.
Though the DCU is still in the early going, we’re already seeing how effective this approach can be. Superman is a big, family friendly blockbuster built around heart, humor, and hope. Peacemaker wholly embraces R-rated violence and comedy. Clayface will play as a terrifying body horror movie. It only makes sense for Lanterns to carve out its own path and do something different in the DCU landscape. There have already been more light-hearted cosmic-flavored entries in the franchise (Superman, this summer’s Supergirl). Lanterns running with a True Detective-inspired angle allows it to continue this trend, tackling well-worn concepts with a new perspective.
On paper, it’s a great idea to make Lanterns a crime drama. In DC lore, the Green Lantern Corps is a law enforcement agency, so a case can be made that the genre fits the source material. It may be an atypical direction, but it isn’t a stretch to see how it could work. For lack of a better term, Hal and John are “space cops” who are stationed to protect Earth because they’re human. It’s logical to pair them up for an Earth-based mystery, and it’s also smart to start with something more grounded to ease general viewers in. As an IP, Green Lantern has some ideas that are truly bizarre (including a Corps member who’s a squirrel). Placing Lanterns within the familiar framework of something like True Detective can help make some of its sci-fi concepts more digestible at the start, and then a potential Season 2 can expand the scale and scope once people have some familiarity.
And, as a DC show, Lanterns will still have plenty of superhero action to take in. Everyone involved with Lanterns promises there will be green, and more recent looks have teased epic battles and Lantern powers. If anything, Lanterns is using True Detective as a jumping off point in the way Captain America: The Winter Soldier used political thrillers or Ant-Man used heist comedies. Marvel found a lot of success doing comic book riffs on popular genres, and seeing that first-hand has inspired Gunn to do the same with DC. The DCU has gotten off to a strong start, and Lanterns has some talented people behind it, so it’s earned the benefit of the doubt.
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