Max's Lanterns Characters, Possible Plotlines, Writers And More Details
You'd think one of DC's most famous heroes would have an easy time leaping from the comic book page to the big screen, but in the case of Green Lantern, you'd be wrong. For example, the notorious 2011 Ryan Reynolds movie — focusing on the Hal Jordan version of the character — is often hailed as one of the very worst superhero films ever made.
However, in 2019, it was announced the green-clad crimefighter would get a second lease on life with the news of a Green Lantern TV series headed to Max (formerly known as HBO Max). We got a lot of promises about this show (e.g. that it would be the "biggest DC show ever made," that it would focus on multiple Lanterns), but while the Max series is still moving forward, it's getting a major overhaul. So what changes can we expect to see? Read on for everything we know about the Green Lantern Max series, aka "Lanterns."
When will Max's Lanterns be released?
Max's Green Lantern series has been a slow-moving beast. The show was first reported on in 2019, before the streaming service now known as Max had even officially launched. We're assuming that — like every other superhero property — the series' progress was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the massive shutdowns that occurred in 2020. Even so, we've been tapping our collective toe and checking our watch for a bit, wondering when the series might see the green light of brightest day.
Then, in October 2022, there was a massive shake-up for the series. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. and DC had basically tossed out the original premise and were starting from scratch. We later learned in January 2023 that new DCU heads, James Gunn and Peter Safran, had completely retooled the show, parted ways with original producer Greg Berlanti, and given the series its official name — "Lanterns." According to James Gunn, "Lanterns" will debut sometime after "Superman: Legacy" is released, and that film is flying into theaters on July 11, 2025.
What is the plot of Lanterns?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the original incarnation of Max's Green Lantern series under Greg Berlanti (the architect behind the Arrowverse) would've focused on at least three different Lanterns — Guy Gardner, Alan Scott, and Sojourner Mullein — in three different timelines. However, they wouldn't have been the only heroes, as we would've seen many of the other members of the Green Lantern Corp., including Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, and Kilowog, as well as Sinestro.
The show would've reportedly gone to space and would've had a budget of $120 million, resulting in Greg Berlanti calling it the "biggest DC show ever made." However, now that the DCU has parted ways with Berlanti and is overhauling the series, the focus has completely shifted. Now, "Lanterns" will focus on just two of the ring-wielding protagonists — John Stewart and Hal Jordan.
With these two heroes working together, DCU heads Peter Safran and James Gunn plan on emulating a very popular police procedural. "[Greg Berlanti's] vision was more of a space opera that he wanted to do," Safran explained. "Our vision for this is very much in the vein of 'True Detective.'" Gunn went on to elaborate, saying, "We find this ancient horror on Earth, and these guys are basically supercops on 'Precinct Earth.'" It also seems that the events of "Lanterns" will help set up a new direction for the DCU, especially the first chapter of this new slate of projects, which is being called "Gods and Monsters."
Who is starring in Lanterns?
During the original incarnation of the series — before James Gunn and Peter Safran were put in charge of the DCU — actors Finn Witrock and Jeremy Irvine had signed onto the project. Wittrock is best known for playing in movies like "Unbroken" and TV series like "Ratched" and "American Horror Story," and he would've starred in the Green Lantern series as Guy Gardner. The role of Alan Scott would've gone to Jeremy Irvine, who made his feature film debut in Steven Spielberg's "War Horse" and went on to star in projects like "Great Expectations" and "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again."
Of course, we're getting a very different version of the DC show now, and as for who'll play John Stewart or Hal Jordan, there have been no casting developments on that front yet. Will the showrunners choose established stars to fill those green boots? Or will this be a huge moment for some up-and-coming actors to shine? One thing we know for sure is that these TV stars will eventually make the jump to the big screen, with Peter Safran explaining, "Anyone we cast as John Stewart and Hal Jordan, they will then cross over into the movie side of things."
On that note, it was announced in July 2023 that Nathan Fillion would be playing Guy Gardner in James Gunn's "Superman Legacy." When asked about this by fans on Threads, Gunn said that Fillion would portray Guy "in all parts of the DCU." While that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be showing up in "Lanterns," we have a hunch that the "Rookie" star will at least have a cameo in the upcoming DC series (but that's just a guess on our part).
Who is writing Lanterns?
In May 2024, James Gunn announced on Instagram that he was assembling "a crack team of writers" to bring "Lanterns" to the small screen. In his post, the DCU architect revealed that Damon Lindelof, Chris Mundy, and Tom King had written the show's pilot episode and had developed the bible for the series — the deep-dive outline for the series' characters, plotlines, etc.
Lindelof is one of the most influential writers in recent TV memory, serving as one of the co-showrunners on ABC's wildly popular — if ultimately rather controversial — sci-fi/fantasy series "Lost." Lindelof also created the dark post-apocalyptic series "The Leftovers," the bizarro religious show "Mrs. Davis," and HBO's universally acclaimed "Watchmen." As for Mundy, he was behind one of the most popular shows in Netflix history, the Jason Bateman drug drama "Ozark." Plus, he's also worked on crime dramas such as "Criminal Minds" and "True Detective" Season 4.
Then there's Tom King — a major player in both the DCU and DC comics. He wrote the series that inspired the upcoming "Supergirl" movie, he's given life to Batman and Mister Miracle comics, and he also wrote the "The Vision" for DC rival Marvel, which served as a huge inspiration for Disney+ series "WandaVision." In addition to these big three announced by Gunn, it's also been reported that the writers' room will include Breannah Gibson of "The Penguin," Vanessa Baden Kelly of "Animal Kingdom," and Justin H. Britt-Gibson of "The Strain."