The DCU’s Next Big Project Just Got a Major Delay (Is It in Trouble?)

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Following the success of both Superman and the second season of Peacemaker this year, DC Studios isn’t letting up. They have several projects planned for both theaters and television next year. Movie fans can look forward to Supergirl and Clayface, a pairing that shows the diverse stories DCU aims to tell. On TV, the biggest draw will be Lanterns, a murder mystery series inspired by True Detective featuring Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre. While fans are excited about Lanterns and hoping it will be a better adaptation than the 2011 film, it seems like they’ll have to be patient.

HBO executive Casey Bloys announced during a presentation that the new series Lanterns is expected to premiere late next summer. While a specific date hasn’t been announced yet, The Wrap reports that information will be shared later. This is a shift from previous plans, which aimed for an early 2026 release.

Should Fans Be Concerned About the Lanterns Delay?

Recent reports suggested Lanterns would follow Supergirl (premiering June 2026), and HBO has now officially confirmed this. While the slight delay of a few months might worry some fans, there’s no need for major concern. The show hasn’t been pushed back to 2027 or cancelled – it’s just being released a little later than first announced, and there are likely good reasons for the change.

Even though Lanterns is being promoted as a realistic mystery, it’s still a superhero show, and the Green Lantern powers of its main characters, Hal and John, will be a part of the story. The show’s production has been temporarily paused to give the visual effects team more time to perfect the special effects. The previous Green Lantern movie wasn’t well-received, partly because of its poor CGI, so the creators of Lanterns want to make a strong first impression as they reintroduce this part of the DC universe. Rushing the visual effects to meet an early release date would be a mistake.

Delaying the release of Lanterns until late summer might be HBO Max’s strategy to avoid having its big shows compete for attention. Major projects like Season 2 of The Pitt, the Game of Thrones spin-off A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and Season 3 of Euphoria are already planned for early 2026. Launching Lanterns around the same time isn’t necessary, especially since A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is likely to be a major draw for fans of the genre. Also, Peacemaker Season 2 did well when it premiered in late summer, so HBO might see that as a good time to launch new DC series.

It’s likely we won’t fully understand the reasons behind the changes to the DC Universe’s release dates until we see all the movies and shows planned for next year. Although each project is meant to be enjoyed on its own, they all connect to tell one larger story. James Gunn has suggested that Lanterns plays a key role in setting up future events, so it might make more sense for it to be released after Supergirl, just like Season 2 of Peacemaker followed up on storylines from Superman. While delays are always disappointing, this one isn’t necessarily a setback for Lanterns.

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2025-11-20 20:43