Prior to the release of Lanterns, few could've imagined the reach and impact this DCU mystery show would have.
A cosmic conspiracy unfolding right in the heart of Rushville, Nebraska, managed to take the world by storm and earn sky-high ratings along the way. Fans spent weeks theorizing about the true identity of the Manhunter, Hal Jordan's killer, and how exactly John Stewart would become a Green Lantern. But now that every lingering question has an answer and the finale has been released, the question is: What's next for these iconic characters?
John Stewart will now go on to appear in the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, which is slated to be released on July 9, 2027. After that, the character's fate remains up in the air. And while Hal Jordan is, for all intents and purposes, dead, Sinestro teased that there's a way to bring him back to life using his Green Lantern ring. So, could there be a chance that two Green Lanterns reunite in a second season of their stand-alone show? While a concrete answer still eludes us, DC just gave us a very promising tease.
There will be a second season of Lanterns if the creative team finds a story worth telling
DC Studios co-CEO and co-chairman Peter Safran recently spoke to Collider about the HBO show Lanterns. While the studio has yet to decide whether a season 2 will be greenlit, Safran revealed that we should expect an answer "before the end of the year." Furthermore, he also stated that a follow-up is, indeed, in the cards, and the determining factor is whether the writers' room is able to come up with a worthy story:
"If we're able to come up with what we believe to be a worthy successor to a beloved and great first season, that's what's going to dictate whether there's a second season."
This is a positive update, as the fate of Lanterns does not depend on whether more people will watch it over time or on any other external factor. After all, Lanterns averaged 19 million viewers per episode heading into its finale—a number that will only grow as weeks go by. Furthermore, the finale drew 10.5 million viewers after its first three days on air, which represented a 13% increase from the premiere.
Lanterns wasn't only a success for the studio, but it also marked a major victory in making Green Lantern an interesting hero for general audiences, according to Safran:
"This was one great season of television based on a property that had been somewhat irradiated since 2011, right? The thing that's most gratifying about this show and this season on HBO is that it's brought Green Lantern back into the conversation, into the public culture in a really positive fashion."
Given Lanterns' success, it doesn't come as a surprise that DC is already trying to figure out what's next for John and Hal. A writers' room for Lanterns season 2 is already underway, and it has been reported that Christopher Cantwell, Vanessa Baden Kelly, Zack Whedon, Selwyn Seyfu Hinds, and Nakkiah Lui are already brainstorming what will happen in the upcoming batch of episodes.
Fortunately, every update regarding a possible second season of Lanterns has been positive, and it appears we won't have to wait long before finally learning whether the show will keep going. Meanwhile, Man of Tomorrow will feature the return of John Stewart, and multiple reports indicate it will also mark the debut of Batman and Wonder Woman. The DCU could be looking to build its own version of the Justice League sooner than anticipated, and we can't wait to see how it all pans out.
Man of Tomorrow will be released on July 9, 2027.
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