- The DCUs Lantern The TV show will not premiere until early next year
- HBO boss Casey Bloys confirmed that it won’t arrive until mid-2026
- Warner Bros. had played down reports that its release had been delayed
Well, it’s official: Lanternafter all, the next HBO TV Original to be part of the DC Universe (DCU) won’t be released until early 2026.
During a press presentation yesterday (November 20), HBO boss Casey Bloys confirmed that the Green Lantern TV show will instead premiere in mid-2026. The Wrap was one of numerous outlets to first report the news.
Lantern‘ Delayed launch window comes just a few weeks after rumors first surfaced that it wouldn’t make the cut on HBO and its streaming sibling HBO Max. In fact, reports circulated online in late October Lantern wouldn’t make its HBO Max bow in the first three months of 2026.
Days later, Green Lantern followers and more generally DCU fans breathed a sigh of relief when Warner Bros. Discovery indicated that the show would air in early 2026. As part of WBD’s Q3 2025 shareholder letter, the entertainment giant suggested that the Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler series meet the mystery2 front, with its mystery2 series still to be released in windows2. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.
Why Lantern’s release date is important
It is unclear why Lantern won’t be turning on HBO, HBO Max and other channels and streaming platforms for the first few months of next year. On Reddit sites including r/DCULeaks and r/DC_Cinematic, some fans believe it’s down to the sheer number of visual effects (VFX) required to bring the DCU Chapter One TV show to life.
Regardless of the reasons, Lantern‘ setback in the launch window is problematic for DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran.
If Lantern had it kept its early release window of 2026, there would have been a steady stream of DCU projects arriving over the next 12 months. Actually with Supergirl set to fly into theaters on June 26, 2026, and the DCU’s budget-friendly horror flick Clayface debuting on September 11, 2026, DCU fans would have had something new to enjoy every three months.
Lantern‘ disappointing release update not only prevents that from happening, but also means 2026’s three new DCU projects drop within three months of each other. In addition, the earliest opportunity to release Lantern will be mid to late July/early August. After all, DC Studios wants to avoid release date crossovers between their Green Lantern TV series and two of 2026’s most anticipated new movies.
I’m all for delay Lantern‘ release if it means the likely VFX-heavy show is as spectacular as I hope it will be. My excitement for the long-awaited series hasn’t diminished because of this delay either.
On time Supergirl is flying in cinemas, but it’s been eight months since the last DCU project – Peacemaker season 2 – ended, meaning DC fans, myself included, will have been starved of content for longer than necessary.
For a fledgling cinematic franchise that has stormed out of the gates with back-to-back-to-back critically acclaimed releases in Superman, Peacemaker 2and season 1 of Creature Commandosplus a comic-inspired universe that wants to continue building momentum, I’m afraid it’s not a good look.
But while we wait for more news about the DCU TV series to arrive, here’s everything we know so far about Lantern.
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