DC fans witnessed the powers of Green Lantern’s light as HBO Max brought Lanterns to San Diego Comic Con! In addition to a packed Hall H panel, HBO Max also released the official trailer for the upcoming series. Lanterns is set to premiere this August.
Lanterns takes a more grounded approach to the space-faring superheroes of DC, focusing on Hal Jordan and John Stewart. This series sees an older Hal training John Stewart to be his “back-up”, bringing him along to solve a mystery in a small Earth town. However, what Hal keeps secret from John is that he will be replacing him.
Although fans only got a hint of what could be in store in previous teasers, this official trailer fully showcases the dangers that Hal and John will be facing.
Iconic Green Lantern Villains Debut in Lanterns SDCC Trailer
The full trailer sees iconic Green Lantern villains finally making their DCU debut. The first is Sinestro, Hal Jordan’s former mentor-turned-rival after an incident with the Guardians of the Universe. Fans best know him as the leader of the Sinestro Corps, who operate on the yellow energy of fear rather than the green energy of willpower.
In the trailer, Hal meets with Sinestro, played by Ulrich Thomsen, who taunts him about the Guardians’ truth. Although Hal doesn’t want to admit that John will be replacing him, Hal isn’t afraid to back down. However, there are some worries that Sinestro has rubbed off on Hal, causing friction between the main duo.
Additionally, the trailer also presents another group of villains that Green Lantern readers will recognize: the Manhunters. Debuting in Jack Kirby’s 1st Issue Special #5 (March 1975), the Manhunters served as the Guardians’ first police intergalactic police force. That changed when the Manhunters went against their code and attacked every planet in Sector 666, including the home of the Red Lanterns.
As such, the Manhunters were defeated and exiled by the Guardians, who replaced them with the Green Lantern Corps. Given how Lanterns‘ story is fully original, the Manhunters’ presence in Lanterns is unlike anything that the comics gave to readers before.
Lanterns’ Manhunters Might Be Connected to This Justice League Hero
One crucial detail that makes Lanterns‘ Manhunters stand out is the fact that they can transform into any species. In the comics, the Manhunters were fully robotic, making this change completely unique. Given this fact, there are some who believe that the Manhunters might be connected to another DC character: Martian Manhunter.
Not only do these villains share the same name as Martian Manhunter, but they now share similar powers and even share a similar X-shaped uniforrm. This could be seen when one Manhunter transforms into a human in front of a mother in the trailer. Although it hasn’t been fully confirmed whether Lanterns‘ Manhunters are organic or robotic, the connections are certainly present.
Furthermore, the actual DCU debut of Martian Manhunter has been continually teased in the past. Previously, James Gunn presented some props from Superman on X, which show items with Chocos labels. In the comics, Chocos were Oreos-esque snacks that Martian Manhunter loved to eat. With the reveal of the Manhunters, Martian Manhunter’s live-action debut might be closer than fans expect.
Lanterns Will Light the Way on HBO Max
The main cast for Lanterns includes Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Laura Linney, Jason Ritter, Ulrich Thomsen, Nathan Fillion, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Jasmine Cephas Jones.
The Lanterns pilot is co-written by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, who are co-creators for the series. Mundy serves as showrunner. The first two episodes are directed by James Hawes, with Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Alik Sakharov also tapped to direct.
The series is executive produced by Mundy, Lindelof, King, James Gunn, Peter Safran, Ron Schmidt, and Hawes.
Lanterns premieres on Sunday, August 16, on HBO Max.
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