‘Lanterns’ Showrunner Officially Reveals Season 2’s Chances Following James Gunn’s Exit

Image via HBO Published Nov 12, 2026, 12:00 PM EST Erielle Sudario is a Collider News and Feature Author from Australia and has worked in the journalism industry since 2018. She has a passion for entertainment and pop culture news and has interviewed YouTubers, voice actors, film directors, and musicians throughout her career. When she's not writing, you can see Erielle building keyboards, reading a good book, playing video games, and creating content on social media. Sign in to your Collider account Ever since James Gunn and Peter Safran were removed as DC Studios co-chairs and replaced by Jeremy Latcham, the future of the DCU reboot remains uncertain. While some projects, like Man of Tomorrow, are still scheduled for release, details on other established projects have left fans concerned, especially since several have found success and earned praise from audiences and critics alike. Gunn and Safran were announced as co-leaders of DC Studios in 2022, and it wasn't long before the Guardians of the Galaxy director unveiled plans to reboot DC's cinematic universe with Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, ending the Snyderverse and using 2023's The Flash to (loosely) reset the universe. Then came Paramount Skydance's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros., with initial reports suggesting that Gunn and Safran's positions were safe. The pair also shared their 10-year plan with new CEO David Ellison, who visited the set of Man of Tomorrow. However, with both executives now removed from their roles, the DCU's future is uncertain once more. One question on fans' minds is the HBO series Lanterns, which earned a 92% critics' score and a 67% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The show followed Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as they investigate a murder case in Nebraska, which was caused by extra-terrestrial activity. Insiders reported (according to Variety) that Lanterns hasn't "captured the zeitgeist" and hasn't been renewed for a second season. However, showrunner Chris Mundy believes it could still return. According to The Playlist, Mundy discussed the show's future at an FYC event in Westwood, California, saying there is a 50/50 chance the Green Lantern Corps will return. Here's what he had to say: "We thought everything had settled [after the merger]. I can imagine a world where everyone retreats to their corners, but then, you know, it’s a coin flip, 50/50." COLLIDERInteractive Five Doors Franchises/Quizzes/Your Universe Collider QuizWhich Iconic UniverseDo You Belong In?8 Questions · 5 WorldsFive legendary universes. Five completely different visions of what the world could be, or already was. One of them is the world your instincts, your values, and your particular way of existing were built for. Eight questions will tell you which one.The Five Doors Star Wars Lord of the Rings Harry Potter Game of Thrones Star Trek Find Your Universe Question 01PURPOSE 01What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning?Every universe is built around a different answer to this question. ABeing part of something larger than myself: a cause, a rebellion, a fight for freedom that outlasts me.BThe journey itself. The places I'll go, the companions beside me, the world I'll discover on the way.CLearning. Unlocking what I'm capable of, understanding the world's hidden mechanics, growing into something more.DLegacy. The name I leave behind, the power I build, the mark I make before the world moves on without me.EUnderstanding. Exploring what exists beyond the horizon and asking what it means to be alive in a universe this vast. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 02WORLD 02Which kind of world do you most want to inhabit?The environment shapes who you become. Choose carefully. AA galaxy of planets, each with its own culture, connected by conflict, trade, and the Force.BAncient lands of breathtaking beauty, deep history, and a creeping darkness at the edges.CA world hidden inside our own, full of wonder, community, and magic waiting to be learned.DA harsh, beautiful continent where power is everything and every alliance is a calculation.EA future where humanity has reached the stars and must decide what kind of species it wants to be. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 03CONFLICT 03How do you prefer your conflicts resolved?The shape of a world's conflicts tells you everything about its soul. AThrough sacrifice and courage. Someone has to make the impossible choice so others don't have to.BThrough fellowship. The impossible becomes possible when the right people walk the same road.CThrough growth. Confronting what you fear, understanding what you lack, and becoming equal to the challenge.DThrough strategy. Outthinking, outmaneuvering, positioning yourself so the outcome was never in doubt.EThrough dialogue. Finding the third option, the peaceful resolution, the answer nobody else thought to look for. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 04COMPANIONS 04Who do you want beside you when things get difficult?Your ideal companions reveal the world you were made for. AA small crew: a pilot, a rogue, a warrior, each broken in their own way, unbeatable together.BA fellowship of different kinds of people, bound by purpose and deepened by the long road.CFriends who grew up alongside me, who knew me before I knew myself, and stayed anyway.DAllies whose loyalty I've earned and tested, and whose ambitions align with mine, for now.EA crew of brilliant, curious, principled people from every corner of known space. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 05POWER 05What is your relationship with power?How you seek, wield, or resist power is the map of who you are. AI want to use it to protect, and I'm terrified of what I might become if I'm not careful.BI distrust it. The most important power in this story is the courage to give it up.CI want to earn it, through knowledge, through effort, through becoming someone worthy of it.DI want to wield it. Preferably before someone else decides to wield it against me.EI want to understand it: its structures, its limits, its ethical dimensions. Power without accountability is the real risk. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 06MORALITY 06How does your universe treat good and evil?A world's moral architecture tells you more about it than any map. AThere is a dark side and a light side, and the choice between them is always present, always personal.BEvil is real and ancient and patient, and goodness, however small, is the only thing that can undo it.CGood and evil are real, but they live inside people, and people are complicated, always capable of both.DGood and evil are mostly a matter of perspective and proximity. Power is the only honest currency.EEvil is usually the result of ignorance, fear, or broken systems, and understanding it is the first step to solving it. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 07ROLE 07What role would you naturally fall into?Every universe has archetypes. Which one fits you without trying? AThe reluctant hero. Ordinary origins, extraordinary moment, changed forever by the choice to act.BThe unlikely carrier. The one nobody expected to matter most, quietly bearing the weight of everything.CThe student. Not yet who I'll become, learning through every mistake, growing into something the world needs.DThe player. Sharp enough to see the game for what it is, ambitious enough to try to win it.EThe explorer. Drawn to the unknown, driven by curiosity, most alive when standing somewhere no one has stood before. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 08HOPE 08What do you ultimately believe about the future?The answer to this is the clearest window into which universe already lives inside you. AThat hope is real. That even in the darkest galaxy, a new hope is always possible.BThat even the smallest person can change the course of the future, if they have the courage to try.CThat love and friendship and doing what's right will matter in the end, even when everything says otherwise.DThat the wheel keeps turning. That power shifts, winters end, and what endures is those willing to fight for it.EThat humanity, or whatever we become, is capable of extraordinary things, if we choose to be. ← BackPick one, then Next Reveal My Universe Your Universe Has Been ChosenYou Belong In Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people and your purpose. Space OperaStar WarsA Galaxy Far, Far Away · Since 1977Hope, used as a tactic. You believe in the cause, in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast.Why This Is Your World You are drawn to the moral clarity of a universe where hope itself is a form of resistance. You'd find your people in the Rebellion, a ragtag coalition of true believers held together by conviction more than resources. Star Wars is fundamentally a story about ordinary people choosing to matter in an extraordinary conflict, and that is exactly your kind of story. The Force may or may not be with you. But the will to use it for something larger than yourself certainly is. From The Collider File The Mandalorian and Grogu brought Star Wars back to cinemas in 2026, the first theatrical entry since 2019. Star Wars: Starfighter, with Ryan Gosling, follows it as the next film on the slate. The CauseRagtag CrewA New Hope High FantasyLord of the RingsMiddle-earth · Since 1954The road goes on, and you are good at roads. You understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination, and that the world's beauty is worth protecting even at great cost.Why This Is Your World Middle-earth is a world of ancient wonder, deep friendship, and a darkness that only retreats when enough small acts of courage accumulate. You would thrive here because you value the fellowship more than the glory, the road more than the arrival. Tolkien's universe rewards patience, loyalty, and the willingness to carry something heavy across a very long distance. Those are not burdens to you. They are simply how you move through the world. From The Collider File The Rings of Power returned for a third season on Prime Video in November 2026. Andy Serkis directs The Hunt for Gollum, now dated for December 2027. FellowshipThe Long RoadMiddle-earth Modern FantasyHarry PotterThe Wizarding World · Since 1997The quiet choice, made without any guarantee. You believe that love, loyalty, and doing what's right are not naive sentiments. They are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise.Why This Is Your World The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into everything that comes after. You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously, and you understand that one without the other is incomplete. Harry Potter's universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying. That choice, made quietly, without guarantee, is something you understand completely. From The Collider File HBO's series adaptation is dated for 2027, with Dominic McLaughlin as Harry. It is built to run one season per book, which gives it roughly seven years of story. WonderLoyaltyHogwarts Political FantasyGame of ThronesWesteros and the Known World · Since 1996You see the board. You are not frozen by seeing it. You see the world clearly, its power structures, its hypocrisies, its cold arithmetic, and you are not paralyzed by that clarity. You use it.Why This Is Your World Westeros is a world that rewards intelligence, adaptability, and the willingness to understand that every alliance is also a negotiation. You would survive here, possibly thrive here, because you don't confuse the world as it is with the world as you'd like it to be. Game of Thrones is a story about what happens when the idealists and the realists collide. You are sharp enough to know which one lasts longer. Winter always comes. You are already prepared. From The Collider File A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms opened HBO's 2026, premiering in January. House of the Dragon's third season followed it, making 2026 the busiest year Westeros has had since the finale. Reads The RoomPlays LongWesteros Science FictionStar TrekThe United Federation of Planets · Since 1966The future is a project, not a prediction. You believe the future is worth building, that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilization.Why This Is Your World Star Trek is a universe where the questions matter as much as the answers, and where encountering something utterly alien is cause for wonder rather than fear. You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve, while being honest about how hard that achievement is. The Federation is the universe's most ambitious thought experiment: what if we got better? You don't just hope that's possible. You think it's the only thing worth working toward. From The Collider File Starfleet Academy premiered on Paramount+ in January 2026, with Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti. Strange New Worlds returned for a fourth season that July, moving visibly closer to the original series. CuriosityCooperationThe Federation Where You Fit 1· · ·0% 2· · ·0% 3· · ·0% Retake The QuizCopied A Collider InteractiveCOLLIDERMore quizzes at collider.com Why Were James Gunn and Peter Safran Removed From DC Studios? Despite the success of the DCU, including Clayface, which grossed over $109 million worldwide and earned a 78% critics' score and a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, Gunn and Safran have stepped down from their leadership roles at DC Studios. According to reports, the duo's departure followed concerns about their projects' performance and their ability to keep audiences interested in the franchise. While 2025's Superman was successful, grossing over $618 million worldwide, it failed to generate "lasting enthusiasm." However, one could argue that Superman made an impact on pop culture, following a social media trend, "you need to nerd out," that featured the song "Punkrocker" by Teddybears (ft. Iggy Pop), which played during the film's final scene, and the song was used in over 60,000 videos on TikTok alone.Another setback was Supergirl's box office failure as it grossed over $126.5 million worldwide and drew mixed reviews, earning a 52% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. Although Gunn will no longer lead DC Studios, he remains involved in several upcoming projects. The first is Man of Tomorrow, which will feature David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult returning as Superman and Lex Luthor, respectively, as they team up to face Brainiac. Gunn and Safran are also producing the upcoming television series The People v. Gorilla Grodd, a Superman spin-off starring Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd. Additionally, Creature Commandos is also supposed to be returning for a second season. However, the future of Gunn's other planned DCU projects remains uncertain, as Latcham will decide whether to continue the filmmaker's vision. Lanterns is available to stream on HBO Max. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates. Release Date August 16, 2026 Network HBO Showrunner Chris Mundy Directors Alik Sakharov, James Hawes, Stephen Williams, Geeta Patel Writers Damon Lindelof, Chris Mundy, Tom King, Vanessa Baden Kelly, Justin Britt-Gibson, Breannah Gibson Cast Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Jason Ritter, Chris Coy, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Cary Christopher, Shea Pritchard, Ulrich Thomsen, Nathan Fillion, Cairo Cash Lee, Noah Gibson Slates, Jaylen Lyndon Hunter, Michael Ocampo, Cristina Frias, Bella Shaw, Shirl Boe, Doug Long, Tony Taboada, Juliette Hourani, Zosia Rinderle, Jaime Alvarez, Nick Epper, Ben Strickler, Laura Linney, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Paul Ben-Victor, Jim Charmatz, Victor Broadley, Hannah Christine Shetler Franchise(s) DC Universe Main Genre Sci-Fi Seasons 1 Producers Breannah Gibson, Kiegan Downs Creator(s) Tom King, Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof Number of Episodes 8 Streaming Service(s) MAX Release Window 2026 Executive Producer(s) Chris Mundy, James Gunn, James Hawes, Tom King, Damon Lindelof, Peter Safran, Ron Schmidt