Is 'Lanterns' Season 2 Happening? What HBO Has Actually Said

The short version

HBO's Lanterns, the gritty Green Lantern series from James Gunn's DC Studios, has been a popular Sunday-night hit and a likely contender at next year's Emmys, but a second season has not been green-lit yet. As Esquire's Eric Francisco laid out on September 22, 2026, the people who would make that call have been notably non-committal, and the answer is currently a firm 'we don't know.'

What HBO's CEO said

In a September 15 Deadline interview at the HBO Max Emmys after-party, HBO and HBO Max chairman and CEO Casey Bloys talked up the network's DC track record but stopped well short of confirming more Lanterns. 'I would say our track record in DC, from Watchmen to Peacemaker to Penguin and now Lanterns, is pretty good. We're very selective. We're careful about what we do; nothing has changed. You'll read about development, but focus on what we're green-lighting,' he said. Asked directly whether more DC shows were in active development, Bloys answered, 'No, not right now,' pointing only to The People vs. Gorilla Grodd, a true-crime mockumentary about the Flash villain that has just started shooting.

What the showrunner said

Days later, Collider published an interview with Lanterns cocreator Chris Mundy, who framed a second season as dependent on the audience sticking around. 'The general feeling is if people are interested, knock on wood, if people like the show, and there seems to be enough interest, we would love to do it,' Mundy said. 'Honestly. I think you want to end in a place where you feel like this was a full season, but emotionally there's so much more to keep going with. So with a little bit of luck, there'll be more.'

Why it's not a sure thing

On paper, strong acclaim and viewership would make renewal a formality, but there is a big complicating factor: a looming merger between Warner Bros. and Paramount that, as Esquire notes, is likely to disrupt essentially every movie and TV project currently in the works across both studios. Until that shakes out, even a well-reviewed, well-watched show like Lanterns sits in limbo, with executives emphasizing what is actually green-lit over what is merely in development.

What it means for fans

For now, the takeaway is that nothing is confirmed and nothing is cancelled. The creative team clearly wants more, HBO's leadership is keeping its options open, and the show's performance is working in its favor, but corporate uncertainty is the wild card. With the first season winding down, the smart move for DC fans is to keep watching (viewership is exactly what Mundy says the decision hinges on) and enjoy the episodes that are left.

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See also: James Gunn hints Hal Jordan may be alive in Lanterns.

Sources

• Is Lanterns Coming Back for Season 2? (Eric Francisco, Esquire, 22 Sep 2026)

Published date reflects the original event date (2026-09-22). This article is original Skillo editorial written from the sources above; facts were verified in September 2026.