DC StudiosAfter a decade floundering both critically and at the box office, DC Studios has regained their footing under James Gunn. With the moderate success of last year’s Superman and the groundwork laid by a relatively well-received second season of Peacemaker, it seems as if the days of DC’s cinematic outings getting pummeled by the MCU are over, as well as their days of approaching the plate without a plan in hand. Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl is arriving in a mere three months, Gunn’s anticipated sequel Man of Tomorrow arrives in July of 2027, and there are quite a few more TV shows and even potentially video games waiting for fans in the interim and after.One of those quickly approaching projects is Lanterns, a television adaptation of the Green Lantern Corps created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, Tom King, and showrun by Mundy. The lore of the Green Lanterns in comics is expansive and wide–reaching, with multiple human Lanterns and storylines that stretch from Earth to the far reaches of DC’s cosmic sector. But outside of the fact that the show follow veteran Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) in his attempts to train newcomer John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), fans had no idea what to expect. Now DC has released the first teaser for the series, and while it doesn't reveal too much, it certainly tells us not to expect a vast galactic conspiracy quite yet.Aside from giving us a glimpse at the tumultuous relationship between student and teacher, the first teaser for Lanterns goes even further and reveals that Stewart hasn't even worn the ring yet, which means that this will be a proper origin story for the character. The tension between the two characters seems to stem out of this as well; there's a palpable feeling that John Stewart won't simply be another recruit, but will in fact be replacing Hal Jordan when his time comes. Towards the end of the trailer is also a curious line in which Hal mentions being “the only human” Lantern, raising a question about the show’s relationship to Superman — has Hal Jordan never met Guy Gardner, the Green Lantern introduced in the DCU’s first film, or does the series take place before Gardner officially became a member?Beyond shining a light on the dynamic between our two leads, the teaser also presents a much smaller scope than one might expect from a Green Lantern show. Based on what’s shown, it appears that most of the series will take place in small-town Nebraska, with Jordan and Stewart stepping on the toes of local law-enforcement to investigate a murder with vast and dangerous implications. This is perfectly in-line with Gunn’s early statements about the show being inspired by True Detective and Slow Horses, a police and spy procedural respectively, both defined by their intricate focus on character depth and slow, twisting narrative mysteries. Gunn has also already confirmed that the crime our heroes are investigating will tie into the burgeoning DCU’s overarching narrative, so while the first teaser might feel sparse or disconnected, it will certainly evolve into something seismic for the universe moving forward.This version of Hal Jordan seems less cocky flyboy and more world-weary mentor. | DC StudiosThe trailer itself is relatively light on action (especially of the emerald, hard-light variety), but it does offer a peak at a few of the show's setpieces, including Hal abandoning John in a careening car to test his abilities, John being kidnapped by some sort of paramilitary organization, and a military parachute jump that looks like it could potentially be a flashback to John’s time in the military. There's still a lot left uncertain by the first look (who the main antagonist will be, whether or not other Lanterns or DC heroes will appear), but one thing is for certain: there is no trace of the goofy, tongue-and-cheek energy Ryan Reynolds and director Martin Campbell brought to the character back in 2011. At first glance the trailer looks like it might be shying away from the more fantastical elements of the Green Lantern Corps, but fans will be able to determine just how much the show embraces its source material when it arrives on streaming later this year.Lanterns arrives on HBO Max in August 2026.