‘Lanterns’ Teaser Shown At HBO Max Upfront
At the HBO Max Upfront event in São Paulo, Brazil, the first teaser for Lanterns was shown to press.
Despite a delay, Lanterns promotion is seemingly full steam ahead as the first teaser was shown to press members at HBO Max Upfront in São Paulo, Brazil, and another in Argentina. It’s about time too, as the only official marketing before this was released way back in February 2025, with a first look image at Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart walking down a road. Find out what happened with the Lanterns series at the HBO Max Upfront.
What Happens In The HBO Max Upfront ‘Lanterns’ Teaser?
According to several sources at the events, namely Omelete, the trailer sees Hal Jordan (Chandler) as a type of substitute mentor for John Stewart (Pierre), implying they have been working together for some months. It is unknown for whom Hal is filling in.
The vibe is described as Western, with the colour palette full of brown tones given the setting of rural America. John and Hal are reported as being at odds over John supposedly saying that he is better at saving people than his mentor. A clip of an unsuited Hal flying is shown, and the Green Lantern Corps member, Ch’p, an extraterrestrial squirrel, is mentioned.
Theories On The HBO Max Upfront ‘Lanterns’ Teaser
Whilst it is unknown who Hal Jordan is filling in for in John Stewart’s training, I think it’s possible that the writing team (Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King) may opt to have Guy Gardner (played by Nathan Fillion) be the original mentor for Stewart, but he becomes injured, leaving Hal in charge of John. This happens in the comic but also matches what Fillion has shared about his role in the series, stating he shares scenes with Aaron Pierre.
Due to the lack of suits in the trailer and the general lack of construct powers, it seems that these two aspects of the Green Lantern lore will take a backseat in Lanterns. This, in combination with the fact that the first look image of the series is quite grounded, suggests that the show will focus on the drama and the detective aspects in contrast to the action. I also believe we will likely not see Ch’p in the show and that his mention is a throwaway gag, perhaps reserved for some lighter project in tone.
Lanterns is developed by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King. The series stars Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, Kelly MacDonald, Nathan Fillion, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, and Ulrich Thomsen. It will begin airing on HBO and HBO Max in mid-summer 2026.
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