- The DCUs Lanterns The TV show will not air until early next year
- HBO boss Casey Bloys confirmed it won’t arrive until mid-2026
- Warner Bros. had downplayed reports that its release had been delayed
Well it’s official: Lanternsthe next HBO TV Original which will be part of the DC Universe (DCU), will ultimately not be released in early 2026.
During a press presentation yesterday (November 20), HBO chief Casey Bloys confirmed that the Green Lantern TV show will premiere in mid-2026. The Wrap was one of several media outlets to first report the news.
LanternsThe launch window delay comes just weeks after rumors surfaced that it wouldn’t shine on HBO and its streaming sibling HBO Max. Indeed, at the end of October, information circulated online according to which Lanterns would not make its HBO Max bow in the first three months of 2026.
A few days later, Green Lantern enthusiasts and, more generally, DCU fans, breathed a sigh of relief when Warner Bros. Discovery had indicated that the show would premiere in early 2026. As part of WBD’s Q3 2025 shareholder letter, the entertainment giant suggested that the Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler-led sci-fi mystery series was still on track to meet its early 2026 release window. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.
Why the Lanterns release date delay matters
We don’t know why Lanterns will not light up HBO, HBO Max and other streaming channels and platforms in the first months of next year. On Reddit pages including r/DCULeaks and r/DC_Cinematic, some fans believe this is due to the large number of visual effects (VFX) required to bring the DCU Chapter One TV show to life.
Whatever the reasons, LanternsThe launch window shift is problematic for DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran.
If Lanterns Had it retained its early 2026 release window, there would have been a steady stream of DCU projects arriving over the next 12 months. Indeed, with Supergirl set to hit theaters on June 26, 2026 and the DCU’s economic horror film clay face Starting September 11, 2026, DCU fans would have had something new to enjoy every three months.
LanternsThe disappointing release update not only prevents this from happening, but also means that all three new 2026 DCU projects will be dropped within three months of each other. Additionally, the first opportunity to publish Lanterns will take place from mid-July to the end of July/beginning of August. After all, DC Studios will want to avoid release date crossovers between its Green Lantern television series and two of the most anticipated new films of 2026.
I’m all for delaying Lanterns‘ if that means the presumably VFX-heavy show is as spectacular as I hope it is. My enthusiasm for the highly anticipated series has not diminished because of this delay either.
By time Supergirl arrives in cinemas, however, it will have been eight months since the last DCU project – Peacemaker season 2 – over, which means DC fans, myself included, will have been deprived of content for longer than necessary.
For a burgeoning film franchise that made a splash with back-to-back critically acclaimed releases in Superman, Peacemaker 2and season 1 of Creature Commandosmore of a comic book inspired universe that wants to continue to grow, I’m afraid this isn’t a good preview.
Still, while we wait for more news on the DCU TV series, check out everything we know so far about Lanterns.
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