The DC Universe Just Received A Massive Boost That Even Batman Couldn't Match

Published Aug 29, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT Lewis is a Lead Writer for Screen Rant and has written for the site since 2022. This has allowed Lewis to explore a vast array of films, TV shows, books, comic books, and games from across the mainstream world of pop culture, reflecting his lifelong love of all media and typifying his experience in the world of fiction storytelling. To top this off, Lewis graduated from Northumbria University with First Class Honours in Film & TV Studies, truly exemplifying his experience in the medium. The DC Universe was facing some criticism earlier in the year, but it has just received a boost that not even Batman could replicate. Despite the successes early in James Gunn's DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, the release of Supergirl was a worrying blip for the franchise. Although the franchise still had the positive projects of Creature Commandos, Superman, and Peacemaker under its belt, Supergirl became one of the least successful superhero projects in history at the worldwide box office. Naturally, Supergirl's box office lows caused audiences to worry about the DC Universe. From the problems that apparently faced Supergirl's production and the worries that another standalone release like Clayface would receive similar reception, to the claims that Gunn's franchise still had no clear plan regarding upcoming DC movies, the obstacle caused a crisis of faith in the DC Universe after such a promising start. Supergirl's streaming resurgence alleviated these worries to a degree, but a boost even Batman couldn't match was not far behind. In August 2026, a few months after Supergirl's release, Lanterns was released on HBO Max. Lanterns itself had faced its share of pre-release criticisms, be it the lack of green in the Green Lantern show or the Earth-based, True Detective-style tone it was going for. Immediately, though, Lanterns proved the doubters wrong with stellar reviews for its opening two episodes from both audiences and critics. As for the former group, Lanterns ensured that any worries about a repeat of Supergirl's low viewership proved unfounded. Lanterns episode 1 was released on HBO Max to over 9 million viewers in its first weekend, ranking among the streamer's top-five debuts. This made Lanterns the best opening for an HBO Max DC show, surpassing even The Penguin. Despite being a highly anticipated spin-off to 2022's The Batman, which grossed close to $800 million worldwide, The Penguin's opening numbers capped out at around 5 million. Evidently, the DC Universe need not worry about losing steam, especially if a show like Lanterns can almost double the viewership of a Batman-adjacent property in its first weekend. Lanterns Is A Well-Timed Win For The DCU Admittedly, the internet can cause some discussions to be blown out of proportion. The worries around Supergirl and subsequently the views around DC as a whole going forward are an example of this, though there were wider industry aspects that suggested the DCU did need a big win. Shortly after Supergirl's release, the Marvel Cinematic Universe recaptured the attention of the masses after a disappointing few years; Spider-Man: Brand New Day has grossed over $2 billion worldwide, and the hype for Avengers: Doomsday has only been rising. This, the flop of Supergirl, and news about a small-scale DCU project like The People vs. Gorilla Grodd only increased the worries that the franchise did not plan to bring in big-hitters like Batman, Wonder Woman, or even the Justice League. All that being said, Lanterns came along and eased any worries. The show is great in its own right, but it is introducing wider DC elements like Sinestro, the other Lantern Corps, and will tie in to 2027's Man of Tomorrow​​​​​​. Almost as quickly as it was shaken, the faith in the DC Universe has been reignited, providing a well-timed win for Gunn and co. The DCU's Future Looks As Bright As Ever It is funny how quickly the perception of a franchise can change. Before Lanterns, the widespread belief was that the DCU was on a downward spiral. Suddenly, the release of such a good show makes the immediate DCU future look brighter than ever. As alluded to, Lanterns will tie into wider DCU projects via Man of Tomorrow, 2027's Superman sequel. Aaron Pierre has been confirmed to appear in the film, continuing John Stewart's DCU story. Before that, 2026 will feature another DCU release. In October of that year, Clayface will be released in theaters. While it could add to the criticisms that the DCU is focusing on the wrong projects, by picking an obscure Batman villain as a protagonist over, well, Batman, Clayface has an incredibly exciting production team and looks overwhelmingly unique as a comic book story. Then there is the aforementioned The People vs. Gorilla Grodd. This show has received criticism, namely that no one particularly asked for a Jimmy Olsen-led TV show when there is still no Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg, or other big DC characters in the franchise as of yet. However, if that show will do anything, it will massively expand the DC Universe. A show about Gorilla Grodd offers the chance for many more characters, maybe even the Flash himself, to be introduced. Beyond all that, it is clear this show is simply something Gunn liked the sound of and was never intended as a major DCU production. That title falls on projects like Lanterns and Man of Tomorrow at the moment. After both are released, the DC Universe will focus on its next big project, with Green Lanterns' light paving the way forward. Release Date August 16, 2026 Network HBO Showrunner Chris Mundy Cast Aaron Pierre John Stewart Directors James Hawes Writers Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof Franchise(s) DC Universe Creator(s) Tom King, Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof