The new DC Universe is still in its infancy, with newish co-CEO James Gunn shaping the franchise with both movies and TV shows (streaming with an HBO Max subscription). It's been a bit of a bumpy road so far, with Superman working and Supergirl not so much. The next title hitting the small screen is Lanterns, starring Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler as John Stewart and Hal Jordan respectively, and even that hasn't been immune to backlash, which creator/producer Chris Mundy is very much aware of.
In fact, when Lanterns' first trailer was released, it was the subject of criticism online from fans who didn't think it had enough actual green or superpowers. Mundy previously defended the show against this first impression, and while speaking with SFX on CinemaBlend he spoke about creating something new for the passionate fanbase.
In one way you think about that a ton. In another way you try to think about it as little as possible. It’s a weird push and pull, because we really want the rabid fans to understand how much we care and take the canon seriously and respect it.
It sounds like it's been a tricky balance between creating something original for Lanterns and delivering on moments that hardcore DC fans are specifically looking out for. While folks might have judged the upcoming DC show early, those involved with the Green Lantern series seem steadfast about the work that is coming to our TV screens in August.
The footage we've gotten from Lanterns has been super limited so far, which could be the folks at DC trying to guard its secrets until the series is officially released. In the same interview Muny spoke about wanting to bring something original and unique to the Green Lantern Corps, and knowing the creative team is just holding the mantle for a while.
At the same time, it’s like Damon said the other day, we’re the keepers of this story for a short time and then someone else will be the keeper. We’re in that lineage. There have been so many different iterations of it. So you want to take your approach to it and do it as best as possible, and know that you’re doing it with love and respect.
Classic comic book characters like Green Lantern have been around for decades, and various creators have been able to put their spin on it over the years. Lanterns is set up to be a crime drama like Chris Mundy's other projects Ozark and True Detective. But this time around he's got an intergalactic peacekeepers with Power Rings rather than typical police officers.
Lanterns is part of the first slate of DCU projects called Gods and Monsters, and has the potential to influence upcoming DC movies. It also seems like the show is going to be telling a very specific, contained story... at least in its first season. Mundy went on to speak more about the balance of creativity and expectations, telling SFX:
You want to make sure that you’re doing it the way you’re trying to do it, because otherwise you’ll have feet in so many different worlds it won’t come out the way it should.
It's fascinating to read Chris Mundy's perspective, especially because we're so close to Lanterns making its debut on HBO. I personally can't wait to see the Green Lantern Corps. in live-action, following Nathan Fillion's role as Guy Gardner in Superman.
All will be revealed when Lanterns debuts on August 16th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to wait and see how DC fans react when we finally see this show in its entirety.
