Even before DC fans saw the twist ending of Lanterns’ series premiere, plenty of them had thoughts on the latest DCU show ahead of its debut. Anticipation emanated from some corners of the fandom, while others were skeptical. One point of contention that remains is the fact that the show mostly takes place on Earth. While that may not have been an expected choice for a show about characters, who are essentially space cops, one of the executive producers is explaining that approach. Many of the Green Lantern Corps’ adventures in the comics happen in space, as the heroes venture to different planets to keep the peace. So some were taken aback when the first Lanterns trailer showed off more of middle America than it did the vastness of the cosmos. Series co-creator and showrunner Chris Mundy spoke to SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend about how he and co-creators Tom King and Damon Lindelof wanted to approach the show. When asked if they hesitated on telling an Earth-bound story, Mundy said:No, we just committed pretty early. No, we just committed pretty early. We wanted to make sure that we were firmly walking the Earth first, and then hopefully you can build those relationships and that trust inside the show, and you can keep doing more and more. We’d be stupid not to use everything that you can do inside the Green Lantern universe.This makes sense, as the creative team wouldn’t want to just lean on the cosmic aspects of Lantern mythology. After all, the heroes do indeed operate on Earth as needed. What’s more, though, is that launching this story in this way can make the story feel a tad more tangible for viewers. And, once the stakes and the bonds between the characters – particularly, Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart and Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan – are established, it may be easier for audiences to remain connected when the narrative does get cosmic.HBO Max: Plans start from $10.99 a monthCheck out Lanterns and plenty of other DC shows (and movies) using HBO Max. Sign up for the with ads plan and pay $10.99 a month, or pay more for the ad-free tier.View DealBefore the Lanterns hit the 2026 TV schedule, Mundy and co. were already dealing with their fair share of backlash. Once early footage was released, a number of commentators complained about it lacking the color green. During his interview with SFX, though, Mundy reflected on the trailer backlash and stressed his team’s desire to satisfy the “rabid” fans. The savvy producer and his cohorts, however, don’t seem to be letting the general public didn’t how they tell their story, though: They have these abilities. They have the ring. Their world is just bigger, and the way we use our storytelling can be bigger too. We sometimes had to remind ourselves that there’s as much or as little sci-fi in it as we want there to be.All of that seems to be working out thus far, as Lanterns has received critical acclaim thus far. Not only that but, as reported by THR, the show garnered an impressive 9.3 million viewers during its first three days of availability amongst HBO Max subscription holders. Overall, chances are that this first season (and maybe even future seasons) could feature more stories set in the far reaches of space. But, for right now, I’d say the series is doing just fine with the grounded approach. New episodes of Lanterns air on HBO and stream on HBO Max on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.