“Are you afraid?” is what the latest trailer for Lanterns, the upcoming DC Studios series, asks, and that’s not the only point of focus. The other is that there are now glimpses of green, after the previous teaser showed a grand total of zero cosmic powers — likely a choice by design.
Building on the tension between the buddy-cop pair of Green Lantern Corps member Hal Jordan (played by Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights) and new recruit John Steward (Aaron Pierre, Krypton), the clip opens with Hal using his ring to make a dollar construct (which is very much in character) and answering “No” when the latter asks incredulously, “Did you just use that ring to counterfeit money?” Two separate timelines are then woven in, featuring a young(er) John, a seemingly otherworldly setting, Hal in the familiar uniform wrapped in a shield that deflects gunfire, and a dark mystery waiting to be uncovered.
Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner also appears briefly, confirming that the actor will reprise his role from last year’s Superman, alongside Ozark star Laura Linney in an undisclosed role, who tells John, “Then go and get it, John Stewart,” in response to his declaration that “I was raised fearless, and I’ll do this better than [Hal] has ever done it before.” The closing moments then reveal an updated premiere date of 16 August on HBO Max.
Alongside the main duo, additional cast members include Kelly Macdonald as Kerry, the local sheriff; Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, a modern-day cowboy; Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe, a composed and cunning woman; Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette Stewart, John’s mother; and Jason Ritter as Billy Macon, Kerry’s husband.
Lanterns is created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, with HBO producing in association with Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios. Executive producer James Hawes directs the first two episodes, while Steven Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Alik Sakharov will helm subsequent instalments. Also executive producing are DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, as well as Ron Schmidt, Mundy, Lindelof, and King.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
