LANTERNS Season 2 is Still on the Table, Despite Reports Suggesting Otherwise
The future of HBO’s Lanterns is turning into another Hollywood headache, and the chaos at DC Studios certainly isn’t helping. Despite pulling in strong ratings, the Green Lantern series still hasn't been renewed for Season 2, and the recent leadership shakeup has left its future looking more uncertain than ever.
With James Gunn and Peter Safran out at DC Studios and Jeremy Latcham stepping in to take control, fans are understandably wondering which DC projects will survive the transition. Unfortunately, Lanterns is one of the shows caught in the middle.
Things got messy when Variety published a report suggesting the series wouldn't be returning for another season. The outlet cited an insider who apparently wasn't convinced that the show's strong viewership translated into the kind of cultural impact Warner Bros. wanted.
"An insider at the company suggests the crime drama isn’t quite capturing the zeitgeist, pointing out the show didn’t get renewed for a second season. 'People cannot wait to make another season of a hit show,' the source said."
The original report stated that Lanterns "didn’t get renewed," but that wording was later changed to "has yet to be renewed."
Warner Bros. Discovery reached out to clarify that Lanterns hasn't been canceled. It simply hasn't received a second-season order. That doesn't guarantee another season is coming, but it does mean the door remains open.
Meanwhile, Chris Cantwell, who was brought aboard to help develop a potential second season, jumped onto Bluesky to address the growing speculation. “Dear Internet: I haven’t heard a f-cking thing.” He followed that up with another message: “Nothing’s cancelled. Calm down.”
Even the people involved with the show apparently haven't been told what's happening. Lanterns showrunner Chris Mundy also weighed in on the uncertainty, and he didn't sound particularly confident about where things might land.
“We thought everything had settled [after the merger]. I can imagine a world where everyone retreats to their corners, but then, you know, it’s a coin flip, 50/50.” That's not exactly the kind of reassurance fans were hoping for, but as gambling odds go, 50/50 is pretty good.
Lanterns continued growing its audience throughout its first season, with the finale delivering the show's biggest viewership numbers. Under normal circumstances, that would seem like a pretty good argument for keeping a series alive.
But this is Hollywood, where a successful show can still find itself fighting for survival because somebody new gets the keys to the kingdom.
There's also the larger DC Universe to consider. The events of Lanterns connect to Gunn's Man of Tomorrow, which makes the show's future more complicated than a simple ratings decision. Latcham and HBO will have to determine whether another season fits their plans for the franchise.
For now, Lanterns Season 2 hasn't been canceled, but it hasn't been greenlit either. With new leadership preparing to take over DC Studios, we may have to wait several more weeks before getting a definitive answer.
It's a strange position for the show to be in, and it would be a shame to see another DC project get tossed aside simply because the people running the studio have changed.