James Gunn's DCU Enters A New Era This Week

Published Aug 10, 2026, 7:30 PM EDT Sean is a senior writer for ScreenRant and has been writing about new TV releases since December 2023. He has received multiple advance screenings of popular shows and ideated his own coverage read by hundreds of thousands of readers. Sean is a self-published author of a Western novel. Sean has also written award-winning opinion pieces related to local politics while getting his Bachelor's degree in journalism. James Gunn's DCU is about to change thanks to an upcoming project this week, and it could usher in a new era for the franchise. The DCU has really only just begun, but it's already had a rocky start. The DCU's first film, Superman 2025, was a huge hit, but its follow-up, Supergirl, infamously flopped at the box office. On top of that, it's still not clear what projects from Zack Snyder's DCEU survived the cutoff, as both Peacemaker and Blue Beetle now exist in Gunn's franchise, yet Superman is clearly part of a new continuity. Luckily for Gunn and the DCU, there are a slew of upcoming DCU projects on the horizon, either in development or that have been announced. From a Wonder Woman prequel show to the Clayface movie in October, DC has many chances to turn things around and start becoming more consistent. One of those projects, however, has a chance to change the DCU's momentum later this week; Lanterns on HBO Max, which premieres on August 16. Lanterns, as the name suggests, is a show about Green Lantern, specifically Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). Based on the trailers for Lanterns and some comments from the show's creative team, Hal is passing the proverbial torch to John for some unspecified reason and training him to use the Green Lantern ring. At the same time, the two will be tasked with solving a mystery in small town America. Most importantly, Lanterns is a chance for the DCU to right the ship after a few missteps. HBO Max's Lanterns Is About To Change The DCU Credit: John Johnson/HBO Lanterns already sounds very different from the DCU projects that preceded it. Every official DCU project, from Superman and Supergirl to Creature Commandos and Peacemaker season 2, has been a fairly light and comedic romp with some earnest and wholesome themes. There's certainly been mature moments, especially on the television side, but the DCU has started out as a lighthearted and distinctly fantastical superhero franchise. Lanterns, on the other hand, is being marketed as a gritty, grounded police procedural that also happens to feature some humor and superpowers. Hal is aging and very jaded, the trailers highlight some reason to be afraid, and the entire story has already been compared to True Detective, one of the more disturbing mystery thrillers in recent memory. There are certainly still jokes and action to be had, but Lanterns seems to be aiming at a more mature audience than the DCU has so far. Just compare the Green Lanterns the DCU has introduced so far. In Superman, Guy Gardner was essentially comedic relief, a jerk who highlighted Clark Kent's unending compassion and humility. In Lanterns, Hal Jordan is a stubborn old man who's extremely wary of the next generation, and John Stewart is all too eager to replace him even as he hides his own troubled past. Lanterns is clearly taking the DCU in a bold new direction. Lanterns Could Help The DCU Build Some Much-Needed Momentum Lanterns and its changes to the DCU's general tone could also be exactly what the franchise needs right now. As previously mentioned, the DCU is off to a rocky start. Supergirl was an abject failure at the box office and only a middling success with critics and audiences. Since it's the franchise's second film overall, that's a bad sign for the future. Supergirl's release date indicates that Gunn and the DCU were confident it would be a success and a worthwhile start to the franchise. James Gunn and the DCU need something to prove that Supergirl was an anomaly and that fans can still be excited about the franchise's future. Lanterns may be it. A darker, more serious superhero show can prove that the DCU isn't a one-trick pony, and that there's a lot more experimentation to expect. That could even translate into new momentum for the franchise and more excitement for viewers, if Lanterns turns out to be as good as it currently looks. Introducing a darker tone for the DCU in Lanterns could also help prepare audiences for the tonal whiplash of the upcoming Clayface movie. Clayface seems to be an R-rated horror film, chock-full of body horror, gore, and mature messaging about trauma and identity. It's wildly different from the colorful and bright scenes of Superman. Lanterns is a middle ground between them; it has some of the fantastical powers and sci-fi elements of Superman, and it combines that with the gritty and dark tone of Clayface to ease viewers into something more disturbing. Release Date August 16, 2026 Network HBO Showrunner Chris Mundy Cast Aaron Pierre John Stewart Kelly Macdonald Sheriff Kerry Directors James Hawes Writers Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof Franchise(s) DC Universe Creator(s) Tom King, Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof