DC Studios’ new series Lanterns premiered on HBO on August 16 and has opened to a 95% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 71 reviews collected so far.
The show pairs Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two Green Lanterns investigating a mystery that reviewers have described as grounded and detective-driven rather than a typical superhero action series. Its audience score sits at 86%, according to Rotten Tomatoes’ tracking.
Nathan Fillion appears in a supporting role as Guy Gardner, a character he introduced earlier this year in James Gunn’s Superman. His scenes in Lanterns tie directly back to that film, linking the new series into the wider DC Studios universe Gunn has been building since taking over as co-CEO.
Early reviews have leaned heavily positive, with critics singling out the show’s tone as a departure from lighter DC projects. Several outlets covering the debut described it as one of the strongest entries in the studio’s current slate, crediting a slower, mystery-focused structure over spectacle.
The series also landed as a streaming success out of the gate. Trade coverage reported Lanterns reached the top of HBO Max‘s most-watched list within a day of its premiere, a fast turnaround that suggests the show found an audience quickly rather than building slowly.
For DC Studios, the reception matters beyond one series. Lanterns is an early test of whether Gunn’s rebooted DC universe can sustain interest across formats, not just in tentpole films like Superman. A strong debut on both critical and audience scores gives the studio early evidence that the strategy of connecting film and television stories is working.
Episodes are releasing weekly on HBO and HBO Max, giving critics and audiences several more installments to weigh in on before the season concludes. HBO has not yet detailed plans for a second season, though the show’s reception through its first week is likely to factor into that decision.
