Superhero fans are waiting for upcoming DCU films like Supergirl, Clayface and Man of Tomorrow to keep building out James Gunn’s comic book universe, but evil is set to ring out across the small screen, however, thanks to HBO Max’s highly anticipated new series Lanterns. The project has earned its share of naysayers due to the largely muted color scheme and lack of costumes shown off in the first trailer and elsewhere, but the newest trailer doesn’t shy away from going green in various ways, while also teasing a potentially more yellow future.
First thing’s first: check out the trailer now to watch Hal and John’s not exactly successful bonding session, as well as a whole lot of references to the concept of fear. But see if you can figure out the big question that I believe isn't being answered in this promo.
Have No Fear: Sinestro Is Coming!
This trailer really plays up Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan as a Grumpy Gus who isn't overly thrilled about having to train Aaron Pierre's John Stweart in the ways of the Lantern. But it seems like he's destined to go through with it, whether he wants to or not. Don't read into any of his emotions as fearful, though, because that doesn't seem to qualify with him.
John, on the other hand, may be harder to control in that way, which is where the Sinestro of it all comes into play. Half of this teaser is focused on a repeated pattern of characters asking "Are you afraid?" with varying levels of intensity and importance, and they all seem to be directed at John, though I guess that may not be the case.
Whoever the questions are aimed at, the concept of fear can only bring one villain to mind. No, not Scarecrow. I'm talking about Sinestro, the Master of Fear himself. A former GL Corps member (at least in the source material) who went on to form and lead his own interstellar group, the Sinestro Corp, which feeds on others fear for power. Obviously we know the character is going to appear in the live-action series, with actor Ulrich Thomsen portraying the villain.
My Big Question: What's This Show Even About?
As much as I do indeed dig this trailer that much more than past promos we've seen, I feel like whoever is making these teasers is purposefully hiding the plot and point of the show from viewers. I suppose that might get explained more fully in like a 3-minute "official" Season 1 trailer, but who's got time to wait for that?
We know from production notes and synopses that Hal and John are investigating a murder here on Earth that has intergalactic ties, which is why the series gets comparisons to True Detective. But anyone coming into this without such production notes couldn't possibly pick up on the plotting just from watching that footage, right?
Green Lanterns' creators got into a kerfuffle with the fanbase over sarcastic comments downplaying the importance of the color green, with Damon Lindelof sharing an apology after his non-serious words were taken out of context and amplified. Will this trailer calm any worried fans down? If anyone has a ring that can get those stats to me by lunchtime, as well as those TPS reports, that'd be great.
Lanterns will rain green down on the 2026 TV schedule when its premiere hits streaming via HBO Max subscription on August 16.
