Who Is Lanterns' Hidden Manhunter? 5 Possible Characters Ranked By Likelihood

Published Aug 24, 2026, 3:20 PM EDT Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release. He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Warning: This contains SPOILERS for Lanterns episode 2! A new mystery is afoot in DC and HBO's Lanterns after episode 2 regarding who is a Manhunter in disguise, with several major characters in the series becoming possible answers. After Lanterns episode 1's ending, it seemed that John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) investigating Hal Jordan's (Kyle Chandler) death would be a central discovery, but the show immediately pivoted to a wrinkle in their earlier investigation in Rushville, Nebraska. Lanterns episode 2 proved to be crucial to John as he was abducted by Antaan (Paul Ben-Victor) and his fellow aliens in disguise with the hopes of recruiting the Green Lantern in training to avenge them. Antaan reveals the truth of the Green Lantern's history in the galaxy and teaches John about the shape-shifting alien race known as Manhunters. According to Antaan, the last living Manhunter is tied to Rushville. The extraterrestrial gives John 48 hours to uncover the Manhunter's secret identity, or else they will attack the town and kill most of the small town. Lanterns episode 2's ending wraps up before John can start this new mission, leaving the mystery to be uncovered as Lanterns' remaining episodes release. It's unclear if John will identify the hidden Manhunter in episode 3 or beyond, but his suspect list becomes anyone in Rushville. So who could it be? We can rule out John or Hal, as well as Antaan, while Thaal Sinestro also isn't an option with his imprisonment off Earth. Let's run down all the different possibilities for which character is the Manhunter in Lanterns based on how likely the twist reveal seems. 5 Billy Macon Of Lanterns' characters who could be central to the Manhunter twist, Billy Macon (Jason Ritter) is the least likely candidate. On one hand, the Manhunter taking on the cover of William Macon's son and the husband of the town's sheriff would make some sense. It'd give him plenty of protection, and he's allowed to mostly slide under the radar thanks to this. But in terms of what would make for the best reveal from a narrative perspective, Billy being the Manhunter would be lacking. He's not important enough to the main story or characters at this point. Unless something shifts in the episodes ahead or Lanterns wants to pull the rug out on viewers by going with the Manhunter having an unassuming identity, Billy doesn't seem like the answer to this mystery. 4 Kerry Kane Via MovieStillsDB There is a world where Lanterns drops a bit of a bombshell and makes Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) the Manhunter. She was not born and raised in Rushville, moving there from Gotham "on a whim" as episode 2 revealed. This small detail for her backstory conjures connections to Batman, but it could be a clever lie by the Manhunter to explain her sudden appearance in Rushville from the start. It would make some sense for the shape-shifting alien to work their way to being the sheriff of a small town, ensuring that they would always be in the know about any investigations that could trace back to them. Furthermore, one could explain that Kerry's knowledge of how Macon was identifying aliens didn't come strictly from keen observation skills, but rather intergalactic experience avoiding such detection. Kerry being the Manhunter would be a shocking twist, especially for Hal, but it does not seem to be fully in the cards. John is searching for the Lantern in 2016, yet he and Kerry are still friendly after the 10-year time jump to 2026. He could befriend the Manhunter and keep Kerry's identity a secret from Antaan or not even figure it out. But those options seem less likely. 3 William Macon Photograph by John Johnson/HBO Max Lanterns is still in the early stages of putting its whole story together, but one thing that is clear already is that William Macon (Garret Dillahunt) holds lots of secrets and isn't an ally Hal and John can rely on. His position as the show's primary villain to this point makes him an obvious candidate to be the Manhunter and the linchpin to Hal and John's investigations. The show has already shown William is aware of aliens in Rushville and sees them as a threat. He suggests he's doing what is necessary to protect his town, but his alien hunting mission takes on a new light if he is the Manhunter. He'd be eliminating any extraterrestrial threat that comes to town, including those that could be seeking to find and kill him. Sector 2814 · Corps Edition How Well Do You KnowGreen Lantern Lore? 🌟CorpsProtect 💎RingsPower ☠VillainsFear 💡LanternsWill 🌌UniverseOa IN BRIGHTEST DAY... → 01 The Green Lantern Corps is an intergalactic peacekeeping force powered by the emotional spectrum. Each Green Lantern’s ring is fueled by a specific emotion. Which emotion powers the Green Lantern rings? AHope BCourage CWillpower DLove ✓ Correct! Willpower is the green light on the emotional spectrum, sitting at the very center. The Guardians of the Universe chose willpower because it is the most stable and disciplined of all emotions, making it the ideal force for a peacekeeping corps that spans 3,600 sectors of space. ✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is Willpower. Hope powers the Blue Lantern Corps, Love fuels the Star Sapphires, and Courage isn’t a force on the emotional spectrum. Willpower — the green light — is the foundation of every construct a Green Lantern creates. NEXT → 02 The most famous Green Lantern in DC Comics is a test pilot from Coast City who was chosen by a dying alien’s ring to become the Green Lantern of Sector 2814. Who is this character? AJohn Stewart BGuy Gardner CKyle Rayner DHal Jordan ✓ Correct! Hal Jordan was introduced in Showcase #22 (1959), inheriting the ring from the dying alien Abin Sur. As a fearless test pilot, Hal was the perfect candidate — his indomitable willpower made him one of the greatest Green Lanterns in the history of the Corps. ✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is Hal Jordan. John Stewart is a fellow Earth Lantern and architect, Guy Gardner is the brash backup Lantern, and Kyle Rayner became a Lantern after Hal’s fall. But Hal Jordan is the test pilot from Coast City who defined the modern Green Lantern legacy. NEXT → 03 The Green Lantern Corps is headquartered on a planet at the center of the universe, where the Guardians of the Universe reside. What is the name of this planet? AMaltus BOa CMogo DZamaron ✓ Correct! Oa sits at the center of the DC Universe and serves as the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. It houses the Great Battery — the Central Power Battery that channels willpower energy to every Lantern ring across all 3,600 sectors of space. ✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is Oa. Maltus is the Guardians’ original homeworld before they migrated, Mogo is a sentient planet that is itself a Green Lantern, and Zamaron is the home of the Star Sapphires. Oa is the iconic green-tinged world at the heart of it all. NEXT → 04 Sinestro was once the greatest Green Lantern before he was corrupted by his own desire for order and control. He created his own corps powered by a different emotion on the emotional spectrum. What emotion powers Sinestro’s yellow rings? ARage BAvarice CFear DDeath ✓ Correct! The Sinestro Corps wields yellow rings powered by fear. Sinestro believed that fear was a more effective tool for maintaining order than willpower, and he recruited the most terrifying beings in the universe to prove it. The Sinestro Corps War remains one of the greatest Green Lantern storylines. ✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is Fear. Rage powers the Red Lanterns, Avarice (greed) fuels the Orange Lantern Larfleeze, and Death powers the Black Lanterns. Sinestro’s yellow rings channel fear — the direct opposite of willpower on the emotional spectrum. NEXT → 05 The Green Lantern ring is one of the most powerful weapons in the DC Universe. It can create solid constructs of green light shaped by the wearer’s imagination. What is the ring’s one notable weakness in classic stories? AWater BThe color yellow CDarkness DMagic ✓ Correct! For decades, the Green Lantern ring was powerless against anything colored yellow. This “yellow impurity” was later revealed to be caused by Parallax, the fear entity, imprisoned within the Central Power Battery on Oa. Once Parallax was removed, experienced Lanterns could overcome the weakness. ✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is the color yellow. Water was the weakness of the original Golden Age Green Lantern Alan Scott (whose ring was magic-based), not the Corps rings. The classic Silver Age weakness was yellow — leading to many creative villain strategies involving yellow objects. NEXT → 06 John Stewart is a prominent Green Lantern who became a household name through his role in the Justice League animated series (2001–2006). Before becoming a Green Lantern, what was John Stewart’s profession? AScientist BMilitary officer / Marine CPolice officer DArchitect ✓ Correct! John Stewart was an architect before becoming a Green Lantern, which is reflected in his precise, structurally detailed ring constructs. While some later adaptations added a military background, his classic comic book profession is architect — and it shapes how he uses the ring in beautifully engineered ways. ✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is Architect. While the Justice League animated series gave John a Marine background, his original and most iconic profession in the comics is architect. This is why his ring constructs are known for their precise, detailed engineering — he literally designs them. NEXT → 07 The emotional spectrum in DC Comics features seven corps, each tied to a different color and emotion. Which corps is powered by rage and wields red rings? AThe Sinestro Corps BThe Red Lantern Corps CThe Orange Lantern Corps DThe Black Lantern Corps ✓ Correct! The Red Lantern Corps, led by Atrocitus, is fueled by pure rage. Their rings replace the wearer’s blood with burning red plasma, and they vomit corrosive napalm-like blood as a weapon. Atrocitus founded the corps to seek vengeance against the Guardians for the Manhunter massacre of Sector 666. ✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is The Red Lantern Corps. The Sinestro Corps wields yellow rings of fear, the Orange Lantern is Larfleeze alone (powered by avarice), and the Black Lanterns are undead entities. The Red Lantern Corps, led by Atrocitus, channels pure burning rage. NEXT → 08 Parallax is one of the most significant threats in Green Lantern lore. It is the living embodiment of fear and has possessed multiple Green Lanterns. In the iconic “Emerald Twilight” storyline, which Green Lantern did Parallax corrupt and drive to destroy the Corps? AKyle Rayner BJohn Stewart CHal Jordan DGuy Gardner ✓ Correct! In “Emerald Twilight” (Green Lantern #48–50, 1994), a grief-stricken Hal Jordan — devastated by the destruction of Coast City — was corrupted by Parallax. He defeated every Green Lantern in his path, drained the Central Power Battery, and destroyed the Corps, becoming the villain Parallax. Geoff Johns later revealed that the fear entity had possessed Hal all along. ✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is Hal Jordan. After Coast City was destroyed by Mongul and the Cyborg Superman, Hal’s grief made him vulnerable to Parallax. He marched through the Corps, defeated every Lantern, and absorbed the Central Battery’s power. Kyle Rayner received the last ring after Hal’s fall, becoming the sole Green Lantern for years. REVEAL MY SCORE → Ring Scan Complete Your Power Level / 8 Are you worthy of the ring — or does your willpower need recharging? ↻ RECHARGE THE RING A twist of some fashion does appear to be on the horizon with William, but being the Manhunter John is looking for is only one option. There have long been theories that William's last name is Hand, not Bacon, making him the longtime Green Lantern villain known as Black Hand. That may ultimately be where William's fate lies, leaving Lanterns with the chance to make someone else the Manhunter. 2 Macon's Benefactor There is always the chance that Lanterns introduces a new character who is then revealed to be the Manhunter in the weeks ahead, but rather than making someone the characters aren't even aware of tied to this mystery, the show could utilize the mysterious benefactor William Macon answers to. Both episodes so far have teased this overarching presence, with Hal even questioning if they are real or just a cover for William in episode 2, which he denied. If this benefactor is a different person, they would make a lot of sense as the Manhunter. The individual has made anyone associated with them sign extensive NDAs to protect their secrets. This person is also responsible for pushing William to keep an eye on alien activity in Rushville. And as detailed in episode 2, William's mysterious boss is also the source of the alien-detecting technology they deploy. This would hardly be the first time a TV show has teased the real villain and kept them off-screen, only for them to enter the picture later on. Something similar even happened with True Detective season 1, which Lanterns is heavily inspired by. There, HBO's detective series only had the killer in three episodes, with their first appearance not coming until episode 3. Assuming this benefactor will appear in future episodes, they are a strong possibility, although not who I'd consider most likely. 1 Zoe Macon So far, Zoe Macon (Poorna Jagannathan) has only been featured as John's romantic interest and William's wife. Lanterns has still done a good job of establishing that she is powerful but mysterious, giving her a compelling case to be the Manhunter on a number of levels. It would be an incredibly smart move by the Manhunter to be with William, as making this life as Zoe gives her the ultimate cover. He would never suspect her, but she has all the knowledge of his plans, allowing her to avoid detection when necessary. There is no safer place for the Manhunter than at William's side, presumably as his most trusted relationship. There is also the fallout storywise to consider. For the Manhunter reveal to be really effective, it needs to shake up the leads. Hal might not care that Zoe is an alien, but John would. He has a growing connection to her emotionally and romantically that would complicate this matter. He even tells her during their conversation in episode 2 that he sees her and understands her, which he believes. Yet, he might not even truly know who he's been talking to. John would likely be less willing to tell Antaan the Manhunter's identity if it is Zoe, which could allow Lanterns to pull back more layers of this character as it explores what he'd do next. That makes Zoe the prime suspect in my mind. This twist would check a lot of boxes when it comes to what it would mean for the characters and story. There are other paths Lanterns could ultimately still go down, but Zoe makes the most sense to be the Manhunter in hiding. Disagree? Share your theories in the comments! 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