Minor spoilers ahead for Lanterns Episode 4.
The DCU's first slate of projects (titled Gods and Monsters) is underway, with the latest release being HBO's Lanterns. The show has already proven itself as something wholly original for the genre, with fans eager to see how it'll influence upcoming DC movies. Case in point: actor Garret Dillahunt's bonkers nude scene from the most recent episode. And the actor spoke to CinemaBlend about what it was like to drop trou for DC.
What we know about Lanterns has been limited, but after the John Stewart lit a post-coital cigarette with the Power Ring in Episode 1 it was clear that this wasn't a typical comic book show. That was further proven with the most recent episode, where Dillahunt's William Macon had a truly wild nude scene. As you can see in the above video, I asked the Deadwood actor about baring it all in the DCU. He told me:
Look, I was nervous about it. But I guess not super nervous. I don't know. There was enough time I could get ready. And everyone was ready, you know? I really am grateful to the whole team there. There was intimacy on site. The director and the DP did a lot of sort of pre-lighting and pre-planning to minimize the amount of time I'd have to be walking around, which is good news for everybody. You know?
Going nude on a film set is understandably daunting, as there's usually an entire crew of people watching... in addition to whatever scene partners one might have. And not only will fans be able to watch the episode live on TV, but Lanterns can be re-watched (and paused) with a HBO Max subscription. Luckily it sounds like Garret Dillahunt was set up for success, including having an intimacy coordinator on set to ensure everyone was comfortable.
William is posing naked when we see him in Episode 4, and spends an entire scene without every covering up. He doesn't even mind that his daughter-in-law Kerry is in the room for it. In our same conversation Dillahunt mused more about shooting it, telling me:
And I thought the actors, you know, like she said, everyone's just so pro. You know, this is not anyone's first rodeo. And so they understood this. It's a funny scene. I mean, it's a good scene. Yeah, it's because it's so weird and he's just walking around playing records and talking to his daughter-in-law. Like who does that?
While there are aliens and superheroes involved in Lanterns, William's motivations are yet another wild mystery that's in the latest DCU project. And it sounds like he's a puzzle for even the actor himself, who is crushing it by sparring with both Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan. Personally, I can't wait to see what happens in final four episodes of the show's first season.
New episodes of Lanterns air Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to see how the story plays out, and how the TV series ultimately impacts future DC projects.
