Lanterns returned to the forefront of pop culture conversation on November 10 thanks to a Variety article that originally reported the series didn’t get renewed for a second season. The comment, attributed to an insider, has since been updated to clarify “the show has yet to be renewed for a second season.” But an online storm over the superhero crime drama’s assumed cancellation has been raging in the wake of the initial report.
Due to the timing, coming on the heels of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s exit as co-heads of DC Studios, fans tied the cancellation to their departure. This was supported by the insider suggesting Lanterns has not captured the zeitgeist. Put simply, the show hasn’t met the moment or made a significant enough impact in culture. It’s a claim that drew instant backlash considering the program drew an average of 19 million viewers per episode and ranks among the Top 5 best series launches for HBO.
It also echoes reporting that Skydance is unhappy with Superman‘s performance at the box office despite the film grossing $618 million worldwide and generally being considered a success. The company expects IP of Superman’s caliber to have an out-sized impact on pop culture and it seems the same can be said of the Green Lanterns Corp.
However, Lanterns limbo has nothing to do with Skydance’s view of its standing among comic book fans and the general audience. The series already had a tough road to a second season, which was made clear back by then DC Studios co-head Peter Safran in October after the finale, “Dirt and Stars,” premiered.
John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) looks down at the Green Lantern ring he inherited from Hal Jordan. – Lanterns episode 8, “Dirt and Stars” (HBO)
Peter Safran Was Transparent About ‘Lanterns’ Season 2’s Chances
Safran credits Lanterns with bringing the Green Lantern back into conversation in a positive way. In an interview with Collider, he described the property as having been “somewhat irradiated since 2011,” insinuating the often lambasted and ridiculed film iteration of Hal Jordan’s story had done significant damage to the IP’s place in pop culture. For him, the favorable reception and support for the HBO series was the most gratifying part of its release.
But Safran’s feelings on the first season did not guarantee that the show would be given a second run. He said, “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.”
He gave the end of the year as the time frame for when the decision would be made. It’s unclear if that window will hold but what is known is that the shakeup at DC Studios didn’t put Lanterns in a precarious position; it was already in one.
The first season ends with all of its story tied up. There isn’t a cliffhanger and there aren’t questions left to answer. It acts more like a limited series centered on an origin story meant to introduce viewers to Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart who was intended to be the DCU’s Green Lantern. He’s going to be seen next in the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow.
Following that appearance, it was unknown how the Green Lantern would be used in the connected universe. Now there’s the troubling possibility that the board will be shuffled so much that he’ll no longer be in it.
‘Lanterns’ Finale Complicates John Stewart’s Role In ‘Man Of Tomorrow’
Green Lantern’s Future In The DCU Is Uncertain
While Lanterns season 2 was always in question, even with a writers room actively working on a follow-up to the show’s first outing, what wasn’t in question was the Green Lantern’s place in the DCU. Now Skydance looks to be starting over with Gunn and Safran’s exit.
Jeremy Latcham has been tapped to head DC Studios in their place and is primed to usher it into a new era. Based on his statement, it appears it’s going be getting back to basics. He said:
“DC’s pantheon of characters is among the most iconic in American popular culture. I’ve had the privilege to help bring some of the most celebrated superhero stories to life on the big screen, and I’m excited and honored for the opportunity to now lead DC Studios into its next era. The chance to steward the incredible cast of DC characters to the screen in a way that excites lifelong fans while introducing their timeless stories to the next generation is a massive responsibility that I do not take lightly.”
What James Gunn’s Exit Means For DC Studios’ Movies And TV Shows
Lanterns is not only TV-MA, it’s not a “timeless story.” It is very much rooted in the sociopolitical conversations of today. John Stewart has always been a character whose Blackness is undeniably a part of his narrative and the HBO original leaned into this reality without pulling punches.
While its core theme of choice vs. destiny is a universal tale, it was told through the lens of a specific Black experience. That of a Black millennial man raised in the suburbs by parents whose upward mobility stalled after his father was passed over for the job of a lifetime. He became their hope and means of fighting against an oppressive system that put a glass ceiling over what they could achieve.
Race, how it’s perceived and navigated, was an integral part of Lanterns‘ storytelling. As was the grounded element of its narrative, which firmly put John and Hal Jordan’s (Kyle Chandler) feet on solid Earth for most of the season. The ring and the power associated with it informed the story, but the point was the relationship between both men without too much flash or comic book wash.
That’s the opposite of the superhero fare that Latcham has been a part of for over two decades. He produced the first two Iron Man movies, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Spider-Man: Homecoming. All big, blockbuster takes on beloved stories.
DC TV has been a different beast. Though it’s expected that John Stewart’s characterization would be tailored to a broader audience for Man of Tomorrow, that wasn’t the expectation for a potential second season of Lanterns or the character’s future in the DCU.
HBO DC series are dangerous and edgy. They live up to the network’s particular brand of prestige television. Latcham said, “I can’t wait to work night and day alongside filmmakers, comic book creators, artists and storytellers of every kind, across film, television and animation, to build something ambitious for longtime DC fans and newcomers alike,” but a less popcorn vision may no longer be a part of the equation.
If that’s the case, it’s hard to see where Lanterns and its iteration of John Stewart would fit in Latcham’s DCU.
All eight episodes of Lanterns are available to stream on HBO Max. Man of Tomorrow hits theaters on July 9, 2027. Follow Sabrina Reed on Forbes for more news about the business of TV.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
