Damon Lindelof says writers are already developing ideas for Lanterns season 2, although HBO has not officially renewed the DC series. The co-creator confirmed the early work in an interview with Collider‘s Steve Weintraub. He also made clear that he will not return for a second season himself.
Lanterns just finished its first season on HBO as part of James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s DC Universe. The show follows John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and his difficult relationship with Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler). Collider describes it as a sci-fi mystery inspired by True Detective, and it drew strong reviews from critics and fans during its run.
The DCU has moved between genres so far. Its slate includes Creature Commandos, Peacemaker Season 2, Superman and Supergirl, and the Batman spin-off Clayface is next in theaters.
Spoiler warning for the Season 1 finale. John solves the mystery of Hal’s murder and accepts his role as Earth’s Green Lantern. However, the win comes with complications. Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) still holds the official title, and John is using an unauthorized lantern battery made by Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen).
What Lindelof said about Lanterns season 2
Lindelof spoke with Weintraub on Wednesday, September 30. He described the writers’ approach to Hal’s death and mentioned the people now working on the next chapter. In his words, “everybody in the Season 1 room, inclusive of the writers who are working on ideating on Season 2” agreed that reversing Hal’s death would be the wrong move.
According to Lindelof, the team knew the decision would be emotionally devastating for some viewers. Even so, they saw it as better than bringing Hal back with a cheap twist. “The worst possible schmuck-baity thing that we could do is show you a pilot where Hal Jordan was definitively dead, and then try to walk it back,” he said. He gave examples like a clone reveal or Hal being “only mostly dead,” a nod to The Princess Bride.
Still, Lindelof did not rule anything out for future seasons. He said he does “not know anything about the creative” and does not want to “hamstring those writers” on the storytelling tools they might use. He also pointed to the comics, where Hal “has died at least 3 or 4 times over the course of the canon,” including the Parallax storyline. His summary was brief: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Renewal still pending at HBO
HBO has not announced a Lanterns season 2 renewal yet. Collider called the early writers’ room “a very positive sign,” and it pointed to the critical response and viewership of Season 1 as further reasons for a pickup.
If Lanterns season 2 does not happen, John Stewart’s DCU story continues anyway. Pierre’s character is confirmed for Man of Tomorrow, Gunn’s follow-up to 2025’s Superman. Gunn has said the film is not exactly a sequel. David Corenswet returns as Clark Kent and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and the two form an alliance against Brainiac, played by Lars Eidinger.
Meanwhile, Milly Alcock and Xolo Maridueña are also set to return as Supergirl and Blue Beetle. Man of Tomorrow opens in theaters on July 9, 2027.
Until HBO makes a call on Lanterns season 2, the first season is streaming now on HBO Max.