Lanterns: 5 Bold Predictions for HBO’s Green Lantern Series

Live-action Green Lantern stories have been surprisingly scarce. Despite the comics featuring a long line of humans who have worn the ring, screen versions before 2025 were largely limited to a few broadcast TV appearances and the much-maligned 2011 Ryan Reynolds movie. James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe, however, is making a clear push to restore the Green Lantern mythology to prominence. Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner has already stepped into the spotlight in “Superman,” while HBO’s upcoming DCU series “Lanterns” will introduce this continuity’s John Stewart, played by Aaron Pierre, and Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler.

“Lanterns” is set to place two of the franchise’s most important ring-bearers inside a rural murder mystery, with the show’s tone openly calling to mind “True Detective” and “Yellowstone.” Much about the series remains under wraps, but the details released so far have created room for several informed guesses about where the first season may go. Five possibilities, in particular, feel plausible based on what has already been confirmed and how the new DC Universe has approached world-building so far.

Some of these predictions are rooted in the storytelling habits seen in earlier DCU projects, while others come from the characters, locations, and creative direction already associated with “Lanterns.” However they come to pass, it would not be especially surprising if these five developments ultimately appear during HBO’s first season. With that in mind, let’s charge ahead with the same confidence that defines the greatest Green Lanterns.

Because “Lanterns” is aiming for a more grounded feel, the creative team has already made it clear that the series will not be packed with Green Lantern Corps members beyond John Stewart, Hal Jordan, and Guy Gardner. That means fans probably should not expect immediate appearances from DCU versions of Tomar-Re or Kilowog. The show’s Earth-based mystery and the realities of television budgeting also make extended trips to the Corps’ home world of Oa unlikely. Still, it would be surprising if such an essential part of Green Lantern lore stayed completely hidden throughout the entire first season.

A brief glimpse of Oa feels like a realistic compromise. The moment could arrive in the finale, similar to how “Creature Commandos” expanded its roster with King Shark, Nosferata, and Khalis, or how “Peacemaker” brought Checkmate and Salvation into play. A wide establishing shot would also let the series acknowledge Oa without needing to fully populate it with alien Lanterns. Other Corps members could remain tiny shapes in the distance, circling the planet’s iconic structures without requiring major screen time or elaborate introductions.

Even a short look at Oa would be a meaningful tease for where future seasons of “Lanterns,” or other John Stewart-focused DC projects, might eventually travel. Keeping the scene brief would also preserve the series’ intended “True Detective”-inspired atmosphere rather than pulling the story too far into cosmic spectacle. For a live-action Green Lantern show, even one built around a gritty Western-style mystery, it is hard to imagine Oa being left entirely out of the picture.

At the end of the second “Lanterns” trailer, Laura Linney appears in a sudden close-up as an unnamed character, urging John Stewart to step forward and reminding him that he is worthy of the Green Lantern power. Her role has not been officially revealed, but online speculation quickly landed on one major possibility: Carol Ferris. Given Linney’s stature and the character’s importance to Green Lantern history, that theory makes a lot of sense.

Linney is also close in age to Kyle Chandler, who plays Hal Jordan, making her a natural fit for a character so deeply tied to Hal’s story. The two performers are among the relatively few actors over 60 in the “Lanterns” cast, which only strengthens the connection. More importantly, Linney is a three-time Oscar nominee, a five-time Tony nominee, and one of the most respected actors of her generation, with a film and television résumé filled with acclaimed work. It is difficult to believe “Lanterns” brought in someone of her caliber for a throwaway cameo. Secretly casting her as one of Green Lantern mythology’s central figures would be the kind of substantial role worthy of her talent.

It’s not inconceivable that the internet’s speculation here is off base and Linney is indeed playing a new character in “Lanterns.” Several signs, though, suggest Carol Ferris could become the first character to be portrayed by both Laura Linney and Blake Lively in live action (at least until that “Age of Adaline” reboot comes around).

So far, the DC Universe has delved into some weirder and obscure corners of its source material. Metamorpho showed up in “Superman,” for instance, while the Captain Triumph superhero identity materialized in the second “Peacemaker” season. Given this proclivity, it would be shocking if “Lanterns” didn’t explore or at least reference a kookier nook of the Green Lantern lore. In the late 2000s, writer Geoff Johns and artist Ethan Van Sciver opened up a whole new can of worms by introducing additional Lantern factions differentiated by color into the history of the Green Lantern Corps.

These include the Blue, Yellow, Indigo, Black, and Orange (among other hues) Lanterns, each with their own emotions fueling their powers (just as willpower propels Green Lanterns). As the greater Western conspiracy fueling “Lanterns” unravels and Jordan shows Stewart the Green Lantern ropes, it’d be unsurprising if those additional Lantern groups came up. Delving into their specifics (let alone actually seeing these characters) will undoubtedly wait for another day. Still, if Jordan’s teaching Stewart about Green Lantern material, it’d be wise to inform him that groups like the Red Lanterns exist out there.

Plus, DC Universe projects like “Supergirl” are taking cues from very modern DC Comics productions, showing that these assorted movies and shows aren’t afraid of superhero elements established in the 21st century. Expect to see that trend continue with an acknowledgment that Green Lanterns aren’t the only ones out there in the cosmos with vibrant rings.

Though not prominently featured in many of its current trailers and TV spots, one of the primary adversaries of “Lanterns” is cowboy William Macon (Garret Dillahunt), who holds an immense amount of power over Rushville, Nebraska (he’s also the father-in-law of the program’s leading lady, Kelly Macdonald’s Kerry). Given that the name William Macon sounds a bit vague and the character’s purported importance to “Lanterns,” fan speculation has run rampant online that Dillahunt will actually be playing a famous Green Lantern baddie from the comics. Right now, it certainly looks plausible that Dillahunt’s William Macon will eventually be revealed in “Lanterns” to be an antagonist ripped from DC Comics lore.

But which of the most powerful DC villains could Dillahunt portray? Much of the current speculation has suggested Macon will actually be Black Hand. However, there are various other baddies William Macon could be an alias for, including Doctor Polaris or Major Disaster. Heck, he could even be a cosmic alien posing as a Nebraskan human. Perhaps Larfleeze took on this alias for his own wicked machinations. With decades of Green Lantern comics to reference, there’s a plethora of options for who William Macon could actually be.

Of course, there’s a chance Garret Dillahunt really is playing a new character. However, with “Lanterns” confirmed to feature Green Lantern supporting players Guy Gardner and Sinestro, it’d only make sense to utilize yet another prominent figure from this superhero’s past for this character.

The dark history of Green Lantern includes the storylines where Hal Jordan, infected by Parallax, became a vicious villain. That incarnation of the character has loomed large over all subsequent iterations of and storylines involving Jordan’s Green Lantern. The trailers for “Lanterns” have shown Jordan and Stewart working (albeit reluctantly) side by side to solve a Nebraskan murder, but they’ve also depicted Jordan as extremely hostile toward his younger cohort. Between this and speculation that the “Lanterns” may be hiding a major DC universe villain in plain sight, rooted in Jordan’s potential inability to previously save the day, “Lanterns” is likely carving out a morally complicated version of this DC Comics mainstay.

Given this reality, it would be surprising if the first “Lanterns” season didn’t start doling out teases regarding Jordan’s eventual descent into villainy. For one thing, Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart is set to join David Corenswet’s Superman as a do-gooder hero in “Man of Tomorrow,” but not Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan. That detail could suggest the initial “Lanterns” season ends with Stewart ascending to superhero status while Jordan begins succumbing to Parallax. More broadly, giving Hal Jordan a concrete long-term moral trajectory towards wickedness could give both the DC Universe and Kyle Chandler plenty to work with.

After all, Hal Jordan’s turn to the dark side is one of his most famous comic book storylines. It’s inevitable that “Lanterns” would suggest such a seminal character turn in the DC Universe’s future.