Fans Face a Longer Wait: DCU’s Lanterns HBO Series Delays Its Release Window
Lanterns is delayed: at a Thursday press presentation, HBO chief Casey Bloys set a late summer 2026 premiere for the DC Studios drama.
Quick scheduling update from the DC corner: HBO's Lanterns is taking a tiny step back on the calendar. Not a meltdown, just a shuffle.
New window, same plan
Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content, said during a Thursday press presentation that Lanterns is now targeting the end of summer 2026. It had been penciled in for early 2026 on HBO and HBO Max, so figure this as a few months later than expected.
So what is Lanterns, exactly?
"The series follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland."
In other words: cosmic badges meet true-crime vibes. It is based on DC Comics' Green Lantern characters and is part of the rebooted DCU.
Cast you will see in those power rings
- Aaron Pierre as John Stewart
- Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan
- Kelly Macdonald as Kerry
- Garret Dillahunt as William Macon
- Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe
- Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro
- Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette Stewart
- Jasmine Cephas Jones as a young Bernadette
- Jason Ritter as Billy Macon
- Sherman Augustus as John Stewart Sr.
- J. Alphonse Nicholson as a young John Stewart Sr.
- Paul Ben-Victor as Antaan
- Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner
- Chris Coy (guest) as Waylon Sanders
- Cary Christopher (guest) as Noah
Who is steering the ship
Chris Mundy is showrunning and executive producing. He co-wrote the pilot with fellow EPs Damon Lindelof and Tom King. James Hawes, who directed 2025's The Amateur, handled the first two episodes, with Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Alik Sakharov also directing. Additional executive producers include James Gunn, Peter Safran, Hawes, and Ron Schmidt.
Production kicked off in February 2025. Season 1 runs eight episodes, made for HBO in association with Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios.
Where it lands in the DCU rollout
Lanterns is part of DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. With the late-summer 2026 window, it should slot in after Supergirl (June 26) and before Clayface (September 11). That is a tidy runway if the dates hold.
Small delay, stacked team, eight episodes. If they stick the landing, the wait will be worth it.