HBO’s Lanterns Finally Gives DC Fans a Better Look at the Ring Energy
The new trailer for HBO’s Lanterns gives DC fans one of the best looks yet at how Green Lantern powers will function when they take center stage in the new DC Universe. Sure, we’ve already seen examples of it in Superman, the latest footage offers a fuller sense of how Lanterns will handle the mythology, complete with glowing energy, power rings, and the first real signs of hard-light constructs in action.
Starring Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Lanterns follows the two as they investigate a murder in Nebraska with possible alien ties. Up to this point, the series has been described as a grounded mystery with a cosmic edge, which makes the new trailer especially interesting.
Photo Credit: HBO and DC Studios
The Constructs Start to Come Through
The biggest takeaway is the energy itself. Green Lantern powers depend on willpower and imagination, so the way the rings create objects matters just as much as the action around them. In the new footage, the green energy appears through blasts, protective force fields, and construct-style shapes that suggest the series is starting small before fully opening up the characters’ abilities. In fact, there’s even a dollar bill construct—because you don’t always have to go big.
That choice makes sense for this version of the story. Rather than turning every moment into a giant CGI showcase, Lanterns seems to be treating the ring as something powerful but controlled. The constructs feel tied to the characters’ instincts, especially as John Stewart steps into a world he is still trying to understand. Though for Hal, the energy carries the weight of experience, which means we’ll be getting some quirkier and unconventional uses too. The trailer also brings back Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner (now we just need Kyle Rayner) and reveals Laura Linney as part of the cast, giving the series another connection to the larger DCU while keeping Hal and John at the center.
For fans who wanted to see more of the Green Lantern identity on screen, this trailer is a strong step in the right direction. Lanterns still looks like a mystery first, but now the power, personality, and visual language of the Corps are finally starting to shine through.
HBO’s Lanterns premieres on August 16, 2026, with episodes also available on HBO Max.
