One of the first announcements out of James Gunn‘s new DCU was a Max series described as True Detective with Green Lanterns. Titled Lanterns, the show has also been sold as a lynchpin series for the DCU. Despite that, since the initial announcement there have been little to no updates about the status of the series. But now, we have an update: Lanterns may now simply be titled Green Lantern.
The news comes via the latest issue of Production Weekly, which has an updated listing for the series. And our usual caveat about the outlet: they very openly do not vet their sources, and often add listings based on rumors/news that has popped up on the internet. Their goal is to allow those in production to submit their names for consideration on projects as early and frequently as possible, not break news for the Nerd Industrial Complex.
That said, while there are plenty of things they get incorrect — for example, they had Peacemaker Season 2 beginning production in June, but it actually started some form of production last weekend — some they’re right on the money about. A listing for an untitled G.I. Joe/Transformers crossover movie popped up the day before it was announced by Paramount at CinemaCon, as one example. The short version here is to take everything with a grain of salt, though we do love our salt here. Let’s salt this one up!
First of all, there’s nothing really different about the rest of the listing. They target production as beginning in the first quarter of 2025. James Gunn, Peter Safran, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King are listed as producers. Chris Mundy is listed as the showrunner. Nathan Fillion, who is playing Guy Gardner in the upcoming Superman movie is listed in the cast. And the blurb stays consistent, saying that the show will focus on Hal Jordan and John Stewart investigating a mystery on Earth which will lead “into the main story of Chapter One, Gods and Monsters.”
The Green Lantern Title Change Could Bring It In Line With Superman
But by far the most intriguing note is the title change from Lanterns, to Green Lantern. If that is indeed the title change, it makes a certain amount of sense, despite the presence of multiple Green Lanterns in the show. Superman: Legacy underwent a title change to Superman, as director/writer Gunn felt it was a fresh start for the character. Similarly, titling a Max series Green Lantern makes it clear what the show is about, versus Lanterns, which could be about the lighting fixture industry.
Is it as cool? Nope. But the goal here is to appeal to as broad of an audience as possible, and Green Lantern is probably the simplest way to capture that. It’s also the latest iteration of the circuitous path this show has taken to screen. Back in 2021, Greg Berlanti, Seth Grahame-Smith, and Marc Guggenheim were developing a show focusing on Alan Scott, Guy Gardner, and more — to the point they even cast a few of the lead roles. In 2022, the show got an overhaul, losing Grahame-Smith and changing the focus to John Stewart. Then with the changeover to James Gunn’s DCU, the series was scrapped entirely, and replaced by the Lanterns concept. Which now, potentially, has become Green Lantern.
