Rumors were circulating on the internet that HBO's Lanterns had wrapped production as early as July 2025. This was hinted at by a fan account on X (formerly Twitter), which posted images from a supposed wrap party. However, that might not have been the case as Days of Our Lives' Cary Christopher joined the cast in August 2025.The series, headlined by Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre's John Stewart, is described as a superhero series inspired by the iconic HBO show True Detective. Lanterns is said to follow the two human Green Lantern Corps members investigating a mysterious murder in a small American town.Has Lanterns wrapped up production? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostIt seems that Lanterns continued filming despite rumors of completion in July 2025. Actor Aaron Pierre confirmed that the long-awaited HBO DCU superhero series has completed filming in an Esquire interview published on October 21, 2025:“We recently wrapped Lanterns. It was an enormous shoot. It was of a grand scale in every sense of the word. And again, I’ve just been so fortunate. When I have interviews like this, it encourages me to reflect. I’ve been so fortunate to be surrounded by extraordinary collaborators and directors and crew and cast and just people who care. People who are fundamentally grateful. People who want to put the best work out that they physically can. We’re all very proud of this and very excited. It’s been a long time coming for many fans and supporters. And I truly hope with all my heart that we make everybody proud and we make everybody thrilled that we did this, because we’re thrilled and we’re proud.”In the same interview, the actor who plays the John Stewart version of Green Lantern teased the humanity of the characters appearing in the show:“One of the things that I love the most about the Lantern Corps is that, yes, they are heroes. Yes, they are celebrated and championed as such, but they embrace their flaws in a way that is beautiful. That makes them extremely relatable. We would often have this conversation on set. I feel like, knowing what I know and what we’ve done with this season, even if I wasn’t part of it, I would watch it and say, ‘I know those guys. In real life, I know those guys.’ That’s a really beautiful thing, that there’s an access point to these heroes. There are multiple access points to these heroes, because they are flawed and they embrace their flaws and they don’t shy away from their flaws. They do their best to redeem themselves actively, consciously. When you watch it, it almost makes you go, ‘You know what? If I can just figure out where to get my application, I could be in the Green Lantern Corps. The training would be intense, and the responsibility would be enormous, but I might be able to just apply for this and have a go.’ There’s just a relatability to it that is beautiful. Hopefully that resonates with everybody.”There is only one official image from Lanterns, that of Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre walking on a road in civilian clothes. In this image, John, being the new Lantern recruit, is clean-shaven, hinting at his army background. However, Hal Jordan, being the Lantern legend, looks a bit disheveled. As the HBO series has wrapped up production, DC Studios may release a new image soon.What is the HBO series about? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostAs mentioned earlier, the HBO series is purported to be a murder mystery set in a small American town. A small American town setting is different from a superhero adaptation, as they are usually set in huge urban cities. The only comic book adaptation before this series to be set in a town is Superman and Lois, which was set entirely in Smallville.However, Lanterns might be darker and probably even bloodier than Superman & Lois. This is not surprising, considering live-action HBO DCU shows until now have freedom to push the envelope in terms of violence.The official logline of the series reads:"The series follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland."Other than the logline above, we don't know much about the show. But actress Poorna Jagannathan was all praises for the script for the show in a January 2025 Collider interview:“This is the first script that I’ve read that I understand why there’s an NDA. Everything is so insane. It is the best writing that I have ever read. I don’t know anything about sci-fi, and I don’t care, actually. But this script makes sci-fi seem like my world. It makes it so accessible to me. I understand everything about this world even though I don’t understand this world. So it’s the best sci-fi script I’ve ever read.”When is the series releasing? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostJames Gunn teased an early 2026 release window for the HBO series in the February 2025 press conference. That was the case until last week, when The Hollywood Reporter newsletter stated that Supergirl will be the first DCU project, releasing on June 26, 2026. However, WBD CEO David Zaslav's letter to the shareholders clarifies that HBO's Lanterns will indeed be the first 2026 DCU project:"Importantly, with its first theatrical release Superman, DC Studios marked a new era and critical first step on its 10-year journey to deliver fans a fresh and cohesive storyline across film and television, while bringing new heroes and villains to the surface. Building on Superman’s foundation, upcoming DC Studios projects include Lanterns, which will debut on HBO Max in early 2026; Supergirl and Clayface, which are scheduled for theatrical release in summer and fall 2026, respectively; and Man of Tomorrow, the follow-up to Superman, which James Gunn is currently writing and will again direct. We remain incredibly excited about the momentum at DC Studios and its prospects to re-connect with fans and ignite the next generation of these beloved characters."Consisting of eight episodes, Lanterns has an expected release window of Early 2026.