Lanterns creator reveals the superhero series is a ‘buddy cop show’ - Here’s how

Lanterns is going to be the third television series set in James Gunn’s DCU. The superhero series revolves around Hal Jordan, a legendary member of the Green Lantern Corps, who is training a new recruit, John Stewart, to replace him.

What makes the show different from other superhero projects is that it is going to have elements of detective dramas as Hal and John work together to solve a murder mystery in Nebraska. The already genre-bending series has now been described as a buddy cop show by co-creator and showrunner Chris Mundy.

In a recent interview with Men’s Health, Mundy revealed that Lanterns belong to the buddy cop genre as Hal and John are two opposing forces who work together, and when one steps aside, the other takes charge.

Chris Mundy calls Lanterns a buddy cop show

During the interaction, Chris Mundy teased that Lanterns is ‘as much of a buddy cop show as a superhero show.’ As Hal trains John to replace him, the two work with each other despite their contrasting personalities to solve a murder case that is connected to a larger and darker mystery. Talking about the theme, Mundy said:

“Our show is in a lot of ways about replacement—when should someone step aside and when is it time for the next person to take the reins? That push and pull between those two characters is really important.”

Lanterns stars Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart. Hal is a former test pilot and an accomplished member of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic peacekeeping team. As Hal nears retirement, he teams up with John to train him. Talking about John’s powers and character in the show, Mundy said:

“So much of the power that John has is by not taking the bait, understanding that you lose your power if you’re yelling and screaming. That’s what we’re trying to convey: He knows he belongs, so he doesn’t have to overcompensate.”

The showrunner also opened up about how Aaron Pierre is the perfect fit for the character of John, as he has both an intimidating physical presence and a softer side:

“There’s a real balance there that’s just innately inside of Aaron. He’s big. He’s an intimidating presence just physically. But there’s a softness to him too. There’s a thoughtfulness. You can’t teach that.”

Lanterns is scheduled to premiere on HBO in early 2026 and will comprise eight episodes. The show has been created by Chris Mundy, along with Damon Lindelof and Tom King. The series marks the third DCU television project after Creature Commandos and Peacemaker.

It also has a special connection to the first DCU film, Superman, as Nathan Fillion reprises his role as Guy Gardner from the movie. Fillion earlier teased that a new side of the character would be explored in the show, which was not seen in Superman.

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The rest of the cast includes Kelly Macdonald as Kerry, Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro, Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe, Jason Ritter as Billy Macon, Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette Stewart, Sherman Augustus as John Stewart Sr., and Paul Ben-Victor as Antaan.

For more news and updates about Lanterns, stay tuned to Soap Central.

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