LANTERNS Season 2 May Already Be Taking Shape After Promising New Update
HBO’s Lanterns has only just started its first season, but the creative team isn’t waiting around to figure out what could come next. Work on a potential second season has already been underway for weeks, and showrunner Chris Mundy has now revealed just how far those early plans have progressed.
That’s a great update for DC fans because this isn’t simply a case of the writers tossing around a few ideas for the future. Mundy says they’re actively working through the story for Season 2 and could be ready to take those plans to HBO and DC Studios very soon.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Mundy explained: “We’re just in the breaking-story stages. We’re about six weeks into laying out a season, and then we’ll talk to folks about it really soon.”
That gives us a much clear picture of where Lanterns Season 2 currently stands. HBO and DC Studios haven’t officially renewed the series, but Mundy and his writers are already building out what another season could look like.
If the team continues mapping out the story while Season 1 airs, they could potentially have much of Season 2 figured out before the finale arrives. An official renewal could then allow the production to move forward without having to start the creative process from scratch.
Of course, none of this guarantees that cameras will start rolling anytime soon. HBO and DC Studios still have to give Season 2 the green light, and plenty can happen between developing a story and actually putting a new season into production. Still, having the writers this far into the process gives the series a nice head start if that renewal comes.
It also sounds like Mundy and his team want to work through the larger season-long story before formally presenting their plans to HBO and DC Studios.
For a series balancing a murder investigation, multiple timelines, character histories, and the enormous mythology of the Green Lantern Corps, having that roadmap in place could be incredibly useful.
Lanterns introduced Kyle Chandler as veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan alongside Aaron Pierre as rookie John Stewart. The two become involved in the investigation of a mysterious murder in Nebraska, launching a story that combines detective drama with the much larger cosmic mythology surrounding the Green Lantern Corps.
The eight-episode first season was developed by Mundy alongside Damon Lindelof and Tom King, with the story unfolding across 2016 and 2026.
The 2016 storyline follows Stewart as his recruitment into the Green Lantern Corps begins, allowing audiences to see his transformation into the hero comic fans know. The 2026 storyline catches up with an older and more worn-down Jordan as he approaches the end of his time protecting Earth.
That structure gives the show an interesting way to develop both characters. Stewart gets to build his history from the ground up while Jordan enters the story carrying decades of experience, leaving plenty of his past available for the series to explore.
Nathan Fillion also appears as Guy Gardner, giving the DCU three major Earth-based Green Lanterns to work with. Season 1 will reveal how both Gardner and Stewart received their rings, further establishing the history of the Corps and its presence on Earth.
The premiere has earned overwhelmingly positive reviews, with fans responding well to its combination of familiar Green Lantern mythology and a fresh approach to the material. It’s also a welcome win for DC Studios following the disappointing box office performance of Supergirl.
If Lanterns earns a second season, there’s certainly no shortage of comic book material waiting to be explored.
Once the series establishes the history of Earth’s Green Lanterns, Season 2 could take John Stewart farther into space and bring him into closer contact with the wider Corps. That would open the door to Oa, more alien Lanterns, and eventually the other colors of DC’s emotional spectrum.
There are also some huge Green Lantern stories that could eventually come into play. Blackest Night would be an enormous undertaking for the DCU, while Hal Jordan’s fall and transformation into Parallax could become a fascinating direction depending on what Season 1 ultimately does with Chandler’s version of the character.
Those possibilities are purely speculative for now. What isn’t speculation is that Mundy and the writers are already spending serious time figuring out where the story goes next.
The biggest question is whether HBO and DC Studios like what they hear when Mundy brings them the Season 2 plan. Audience numbers will obviously matter as well, so fans hoping to see this corner of the DCU continue have another good reason to keep watching each week.
Considering the writers are already six weeks into breaking the story, Lanterns could potentially have its next season mapped out before Season 1 finishes airing. If the renewal comes, that early work could help get Season 2 moving faster than starting from square one.
New episodes of Lanterns air every Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.