HBO and DC Studios released the official trailer for their upcoming series Lanterns during San Diego Comic-Con 2026. The three-minute-eight-second trailer shows Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan sitting in a football stadium in Rushville, Nebraska. This scene has become a talking point because Chandler is famous for playing Coach Eric Taylor on the NBC drama Friday Night Lights.
The Trailer Released at San Diego Comic-Con
The Lanterns trailer dropped on July 24, 2026, during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con. The event featured cast members Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, Garret Dillahunt, and Poorna Jagannathan, along with co-creators Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King.
The trailer gives viewers a clear look at what the series will offer. It shows the two Green Lanterns working together on a case. The story follows Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), a veteran Green Lantern, and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), a new recruit. They are intergalactic cops who get pulled into a dark mystery on Earth. They investigate a murder in the American heartland. The case has ties to a larger cosmic threat.
The trailer also shows the main villains of the series. The Manhunters appear as the primary antagonists. The Manhunters are robots created by the Guardians of the Universe. They went rogue and now cause destruction across the galaxy. The trailer also gives fans a first look at Sinestro.
The Friday Night Lights Reference
The football stadium scene in the trailer has drawn attention. Kyle Chandler played Coach Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights from 2006 to 2011. The role made him a well-known actor. In the Lanterns trailer, Chandler’s character Hal Jordan sits in a football stadium while local authorities work a crime scene.
Showrunner Chris Mundy spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the scene. He said the football stadium was already part of the story before Chandler joined the project. “The football stadium was baked in [the show] before Kyle came on board,” Mundy said. “But once it was Kyle, we’re like, ‘Oh! We have Coach Taylor in a football stadium’”.
Damon Lindelof, an executive producer on Lanterns, pointed out another connection. Sarah Aubrey, who is now the head of HBO Max, produced Friday Night Lights. Lindelof said, “She has a relationship with Kyle, so it did feel like destiny was pushing us towards [Chandler]”.
Chris Mundy also mentioned that Karen Wacker, one of the line producers on Lanterns, worked on Friday Night Lights. “So it was an inevitable path to Kyle,” Mundy added.
The Cast of Lanterns
Lanterns has a large cast of known actors. The two leads are Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart. Chandler is known for Friday Night Lights and Bloodline. Pierre appeared in Rebel Ridge and Krypton.
Other cast members include:
- Kelly Macdonald as Kerry
- Garret Dillahunt as William Macon
- Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe
- Laura Linney as one of the Guardians
- Jason Ritter
- Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro
- Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner
- J. Alphonse Nicholson
- Jasmine Cephas Jones
The Creative Team Behind the Series
Lanterns comes from a team of experienced creators. The series was created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King. Chris Mundy serves as the showrunner. Damon Lindelof is known for Watchmen and The Leftovers. Tom King is a well-known comics writer.
The first two episodes were directed by James Hawes. Other directors include Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Alik Sakharov.
The executive producers are Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, Tom King, James Gunn, Peter Safran, Ron Schmidt, and James Hawes. The series comes from HBO in association with Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios.
Release Date and Where to Watch
Lanterns will premiere on August 16, 2026. The eight-episode first season will air at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. It will also be available to stream on HBO Max.
For viewers in India, the series will stream on JioHotstar starting August 17, 2026. This coincides with the global debut.
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What the Series Is About
Lanterns is based on the DC Comics characters from Green Lantern. The series follows two Green Lanterns who are intergalactic law enforcers. Hal Jordan is a legendary Green Lantern with years of experience. John Stewart is a new recruit still learning to use his power ring.
The story is set mostly in the American heartland. The two Lanterns investigate a murder that has connections to a larger cosmic threat. The series has been described as having a True Detective-style feel.
The show is split into two timelines: 2016 and 2026. Most scenes with Hal and John are set in 2016. One brief scene set in 2026 shows John Stewart with a goatee.
Lanterns will consist of eight episodes for its first season. The series is a limited series from Amazon MGM Studios and Alcon Television.
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