We Already Know How James Gunn's Man of Tomorrow Will Set Up Lanterns Season 2
Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero.
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Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Lanterns season 1
James Gunn's Man of Tomorrow is shaping up to be a major chapter in the DC Universe, and not just because it's set to bring back David Corenswet's Superman alongside Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor in what will reportedly be an uneasy alliance against Brainiac, one of the most powerful cosmic DC villains of all time. The sequel is confirmed to feature even more heroes, including Aaron Pierre's next DCU appearance as John Stewart following his debut in HBO's Lanterns.
Based on the finale episode of Lanterns season 1, we now have a pretty good idea about how and why John Stewart's Green Lantern will appear in Man of Tomorrow. Not only that, but it follows that John's efforts on the big-screen could very well set the stage for a very different second season of Lanterns in the DCU's future.
A second season of Lanterns has yet to be officially confirmed, though a writers' room has been formed to explore what future stories could look like. That being said, Lanterns season 1's ending and John's confirmed involvement in Man of Tomorrow have arguably laid a solid foundation already for what the show's future will look like.
2 Man of Tomorrow Will Be John Stewart's True Superhero Debut
At the end of Lanterns season 1, John Stewart lays out a new status quo for himself and Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, the current Green Lantern of Sector 2814 chosen by the Guardians of Oa when John Stewart turned down the ring in 2016. Now having chosen to be a Lantern on his own terms wielding Hal Jordan's old power ring, John says that while Guy can keep the rest of Sector 2814, he's going to protect Earth as a more independent Green Lantern, implying to Guy that if the Guardians have a problem with it then he'll expose their role creating the rogue genocidal Manhunters.
In light of this new deal, John Stewart finally looks ready to be the kind of Lantern he wants to be by the end of this first season, and the behind-the-scenes features for the Lanterns finale makes it crystal clear following new comments from writer Tom King:
"The other Green Lanterns are cops, but John Stewart is a superhero."
Keeping that in mind, that feels like a key distinction that will be made in 2027's Man of Tomorrow. In the upcoming DCU movie directed by DC Studios head James Gunn, John Stewart could very well take Guy's place on the Justice Gang, the team of heroes who helped Kal-El in 2025's Superman. Even if John doesn't join the team and Guy is still around, Man of Tomorrow will more than likely be John's time to shine, proving himself as a true hero in the DCU.
Overall, a Superman-centered movie featuring Brainiac feels like an epic opportunity for John to demonstrate what sets him apart as that "superhero" rather than another "space cop". Likewise, a big-budget superhero movie will no doubt be a great vehicle, allowing Stewart to really let loose with his ring, creating all kinds of constructs made from the green light of willpower (which were certainly more limited on the more grounded HBO series).
Sector 2814 · Ring Active How Well Do You Know Lanterns? “In brightest day, in blackest night...”
💍The RingPowered by will
🔦The Corps3,600 sectors
🌌OaThe Guardians
👮Earth BeatSector 2814
⚠Yellow
PerilThe fear entity
01
Lanterns is one of the tentpole TV series launching James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC Universe. On which streaming platform does it air?
✓ Correct! HBO Max — Warner Bros. Discovery’s flagship streamer and the natural home for DCU prestige TV alongside Peacemaker and The Penguin. Lanterns is positioned as the DCU’s high-end serialised drama counterpart to Gunn’s theatrical Superman relaunch, sharing canon with the films. Disney+ runs Marvel; Netflix and Apple are rival streamers.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is HBO Max. Netflix has had various superhero shows but not DCU. Disney+ is Marvel’s home. Apple TV+ doesn’t house DC. HBO Max is Warner Bros. Discovery’s streamer and the TV home of the Gunn/Safran DCU — Lanterns joins Peacemaker and upcoming DCU series there.
02
Unlike most Green Lantern adaptations, Lanterns pairs two Earth-based ring-bearers in a buddy-cop framework — a weathered veteran and a newer recruit partnered together on Sector 2814 duty. Which two Lanterns lead the show?
✓ Correct! Hal Jordan and John Stewart — two of the most beloved Earth-assigned Lanterns — are paired as the show’s central duo. Hal is the hot-shot test-pilot veteran, John the disciplined ex-Marine architect with a sharper sense of justice. The pairing draws heavily from the Geoff Johns comics era and lets the show explore two very different philosophies of what a Green Lantern should be.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Guy Gardner (played by Nathan Fillion) is a separate DCU character who appears in the 2025 Superman film. Kyle Rayner is a beloved Lantern but not part of this show. The Lanterns duo is the Hal/John pairing — a pointedly contrasting veteran and recruit on Sector 2814 duty together.
03
The role of Hal Jordan — the weathered, test-pilot-turned-space-cop original Earth Lantern — went to a veteran actor best known as Coach Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights and for leading Bloodline. Who plays Hal?
✓ Correct! Kyle Chandler — Emmy winner for Friday Night Lights, star of Bloodline, and part of the Monsterverse (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) — plays an older, weathered Hal Jordan. James Gunn wanted a seasoned, grounded presence rather than a rookie. Ryan Reynolds played Hal in 2011’s widely-mocked Green Lantern film (a different continuity); Nathan Fillion plays Guy Gardner in the 2025 Superman film.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Kyle Chandler. Ryan Reynolds’ Hal was the 2011 film (a separate, mostly-disowned continuity). Nathan Fillion plays Guy Gardner in the 2025 Superman film — not Hal. Chris Pine isn’t in the DCU. Chandler’s weathered, Friday-Night-Lights gravitas is exactly the mature Hal energy Gunn wanted for the show.
04
John Stewart — ex-Marine sniper, architect, and one of DC’s most iconic Black heroes — is played by a British actor who broke out in Barry Jenkins’ The Underground Railroad and Jeremy Saulnier’s Rebel Ridge. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Aaron Pierre — the British actor who earned raves as Caesar in The Underground Railroad (2021) and carried Netflix’s Rebel Ridge (2024) with a performance frequently compared to early Denzel Washington. Gunn called his casting “a no-brainer.” Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown and John Boyega are all great actors but not in the role.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Aaron Pierre. Winston Duke is M’Baku in the Marvel universe. Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us, American Fiction) is Marvel-adjacent too. John Boyega famously played Finn in Star Wars. Pierre’s Rebel Ridge performance — playing a disciplined ex-Marine — is essentially his audition for John Stewart, and Gunn’s team cast him off it.
05
James Gunn has repeatedly pitched Lanterns as a grounded, small-town murder-mystery thriller — where the space-cop rings are secondary to a detective case on Earth. Which acclaimed HBO series is his go-to tonal comparison?
✓ Correct! Gunn has explicitly called Lanterns his “True Detective in the DCU” — a slow-burn, atmospheric, character-driven case with superhero elements layered over a grounded murder mystery. Showrunner Chris Mundy actually did True Detective: Night Country duties, bringing that DNA directly. Watchmen (Damon Lindelof) was also cited, and Lindelof has consulting writer credits, but True Detective is the primary comp.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is True Detective. Gunn has named it as the explicit tonal blueprint — a slow-burn, character-driven murder mystery with superhero elements layered over it. Chris Mundy, the show’s runner, worked on True Detective: Night Country, bringing the DNA directly. Watchmen was a secondary comp (Damon Lindelof consults), but True Detective is the primary pitch.
06
When James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as DC Studios co-CEOs in 2022, they announced a rebooted slate of interconnected films and TV shows — with Lanterns among the launch titles. What is this first DCU phase officially called?
✓ Correct! Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters — announced in January 2023 as the Gunn/Safran DCU’s opening slate. It includes Superman (2025), The Authority, Supergirl, The Brave and the Bold, Paradise Lost, Waller, Creature Commandos, and of course Lanterns. Crisis on Infinite Earths is a comics event; Flashpoint and Dark Knights are other DC storylines, not the chapter branding.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. Crisis on Infinite Earths is a famous DC comics crossover event (and Arrowverse crossover) but not a DCU chapter label. Flashpoint was referenced in The Flash (2023) from the now-defunct DCEU. The Gunn/Safran era officially named its launch phase Gods and Monsters — Superman 2025, Lanterns, and related titles.
07
Green Lanterns serve the Guardians of the Universe, an ancient race who created the Corps’ 3,600-sector peacekeeping force and charge the Lantern rings from a central Power Battery on their home planet. What is the Guardians’ homeworld called?
✓ Correct! Oa — the small blue-skinned Guardians’ home at the centre of the universe. It houses the Central Power Battery from which all Green Lantern rings draw their energy, and serves as the Corps’ academy and operational base. Krypton is Superman’s destroyed homeworld; Themyscira is Wonder Woman’s hidden Amazon island; Apokolips is Darkseid’s hellscape.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is Oa. Krypton is Superman’s homeworld. Themyscira is Paradise Island where Wonder Woman was raised. Apokolips is Darkseid’s grim world in the Fourth World mythos. Oa is specifically the Guardians of the Universe’s planet — home to the Central Power Battery that fuels every Green Lantern ring in all 3,600 sectors.
08
Every Green Lantern recites the same oath when charging their ring — a four-line rhyming incantation that’s become one of the most famous pieces of verse in comic-book history. How does it famously begin?
✓ Correct! “In brightest day, in blackest night / No evil shall escape my sight / Let those who worship evil’s might / Beware my power — Green Lantern’s light!” The oath dates back to 1940’s All-American Comics #16, was refined through the Silver Age, and is considered one of DC’s most sacred bits of verse. Every canonical adaptation includes some version of it.
✗ Ring malfunction! The answer is “In brightest day, in blackest night...” The full oath: “No evil shall escape my sight / Let those who worship evil’s might / Beware my power — Green Lantern’s light!” It’s been canon since 1940 and remains one of comics’ most instantly recognisable pieces of verse — recited in every major Green Lantern adaptation.
Ring Depowered · Report to Oa Your Corps Rank
💍
/ 8
Honor Guard veteran — or still in Corps training?
Furthermore, if John Stewart does help defeat Brainiac or otherwise prove himself as a legitimate protector of Earth, one can imagine this might help solidify his relationship with the Guardians and his decision to be more independent. After all, his decision to break the chain of command and be a Lantern on his own terms will likely frustrate the Guardians, who see themselves as absolute authority in the universe. However, John potentially helping to take down a major cosmic threat like Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow could make it much harder to dismiss his value.
Seeing as how the Guardians wanted John to be a Green Lantern in the first place, ever since he was a child, perhaps they could learn to live with his more independent approach, especially when combined with John's thinly veiled threat to expose the Manhunters' true origins. Thanks to John's role in Man of Tomorrow, the hoped-for Lanterns season 2 could have a fascinating starting point, ready to define his place as a Green Lantern while still operating outside the official confines of the Corps and its leadership.
1 After Man of Tomorrow, Lanterns Season 2 Will Be A Completely Different DCU Show
Regardless of what happens with John Stewart in Man of Tomorrow, Lanterns season 2 will certainly need to tell a very different kind of story compared to the first season. After all, the Rushville incident has pretty much been wrapped up, and the entire status quo has now changed as mentioned above.
The hope is that John and Guy Gardner's new deal will give Stewart another connection to the wider Green Lantern mythology, potentially raising the cosmic stakes even higher, even if the show remains primarily Earth-bound. Likewise, despite Earth being his claimed jurisdiction, it would be pretty cool to see John visit other worlds like Oa, even if the time spent there is brief.
Ultimately, a larger scale conflict or mystery would make perfect sense for John Stewart, especially following his Man of Tomorrow appearance. Even if he remains independent of the Guardians, a growing reputation could bring him into contact with new allies, enemies, and conflicts much bigger than those seen in the first season. While a more grounded atmosphere and investigative elements could still be featured, the potential for much bigger events beyond a conflict confined to a small town in Nebraska feels very likely.
In short, Man of Tomorrow can be the connective tissue that allows Lanterns to evolve naturally from its first season to a much bigger second season (in more ways than one). The Superman sequel can help establish John as a legitimate superhero in the DCU, which Stewart will then be able to take into his next mission on HBO Max. Although a second season of Lanterns has yet to be confirmed and John's full role in Man of Tomorrow remains a mystery, the pieces are definitely there for the two projects to complement each other incredibly well.
All episodes of Lanterns season 1 are now streaming on HBO Max from DC Studios.
-
Man of Tomorrow
- Release Date
- July 9, 2027
- Director
- James Gunn
- Writers
- James Gunn
- Producers
- Peter Safran, James Gunn
- Prequel(s)
- Superman
- Franchise(s)
- Superman, DCU
Cast
-
Superman
-
Nicholas Hoult
Lex Luthor
-
Rachel Brosnahan
Lois Lane
-
Lars Eidinger
Brainiac
Man of Tomorrow marks a new chapter in the Superman saga, as Superman teams up with longtime adversary Lex Luthor to face the formidable villain Brainiac.
-
Lanterns
- Release Date
- August 16, 2026
- Network
- HBO
-
Kyle Chandler
Hal Jordan
-
Aaron Pierre
John Stewart
Lanterns is a 2026 DC superhero detective series centered on veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan and new recruit John Stewart. The two intergalactic peacekeepers investigate a murder in Nebraska, drawing them into a dark Earth-based mystery with deeper implications for both men.
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