After teasing a trailer drop for tomorrow, the network decided that 24 hours was simply too long to wait, releasing the first full look at the highly anticipated series Lanterns just hours after the initial teaser.
The trailer gives us our most substantial look yet at the dynamic between the two iconic leads: Aaron Pierre as the recruit John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as the grizzled veteran Hal Jordan.
Forget what you remember about the 2011 film; this isn’t a neon-soaked space opera. Instead, Lanterns leans heavily into its “grounded, detective-noir” roots. Showrunner Chris Mundy (Ozark, True Detective: Night Country) has crafted a story that feels more like a gritty police procedural than a standard superhero flick.
The core plot follows Jordan and Stewart as they investigate a dark murder mystery in the American heartland. According to the footage, the case isn’t just a local crime; it’s a mystery with “larger ripple effects” that will echo throughout James Gunn’s new DC Universe.
One of the most interesting parts of the trailer is John Stewart’s status as a “Lantern-in-training,” with Aaron Pierre’s character appearing noticeably ring-less for much of the footage despite being two months into his instruction.
This setup creates a palpable tension between the two leads, as Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan is portrayed as a cynical, weary legend who is fiercely protective of his role even as he nears retirement. Pierre’s Stewart, a former Marine and architect, brings a disciplined but frustrated energy to the duo, which comes to a head in a standout moment where Jordan cautions his impatient pupil.
By telling him, “Don’t get hung up on the jewelry, junior,” Jordan emphasizes that being a Green Lantern is defined by the strength of one’s willpower rather than the weapon on their finger.
The trailer doesn’t shy away from the broader Green Lantern Corps lore, featuring a hilariously meta moment where Hal Jordan references his alien colleagues, specifically a “f—ing squirrel” in a nod to the fan-favorite rodent-like Lantern, Ch’p.
The footage also offers glimpses of Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry, a local official who seems less than thrilled about “big shot” space cops invading her small town, and Nathan Fillion returning as Guy Gardner to bridge the gap between this series and the upcoming Superman film.
Rounding out the high-stakes world-building is Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro, whose brief appearance hints at the deep-seated villainy brewing just beneath the surface of this cosmic mystery.
Check out the trailer.
