Last updated on 17 August 2026.
DC fans have been waiting for the Green Lantern to return in live-action for more than a decade, and the wait is finally over. They are coming now in an HBO series called Lanterns, and here’s everything you need to know.
Lanterns Release Guide for Indian Fans
1) When is Lanterns releasing in India?
The first episode of Lanterns will premiere in India on 17 August 2026 at 6:30 AM. New episodes will arrive every Monday at the same time.
The US release date is set for Sunday evening; because of the time difference, we will have to watch it on Monday morning in India.
2) Where can you watch Lanterns?
Lanterns will be officially streaming on JioHotstar in India.
In the USA, the series is available through HBO Max, but that streaming service is not available in India. Warner Bros Discovery has an exclusive partnership with Jio for all their content, including movies and shows (through HBO).
3) In which languages will it be released in India?
Lanterns is confirmed to be dubbed in 4 languages in India: English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
Usually, we don’t see that many language options for a brand-new show, but since it is part of the DCU and a flagship series, JioHotstar has made an effort to make Lanterns accessible to a wider Indian audience.
4) How many episodes?
This first season of Lanterns will have 8 episodes. This is a standard episode count for most HBO shows, which they followed with House of the Dragon (since season 2) and DC’s The Penguin series too.
It will follow a weekly release format, which will give plenty of time to follow the mystery investigation happening and discuss the same with fellow fans.
So, the release schedule for Indian viewers is:
- Episode 1: August 17
- Episode 2: August 24
- Episode 3: August 31
- Episode 4: September 7
- Episode 5: September 14
- Episode 6: September 21
- Episode 7: September 28
- Episode 8, Finale: October 5
The season finale, Episode 8, is scheduled to be released on 5 October 2026 in India. So, if you want to binge-watch, start from October.
5) What is the Lanterns story about?
The story follows Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two Green Lanterns working together on a murder investigation.
Hal Jordan is an experienced Lantern who has spent years serving the Green Lantern Corps.
John Stewart is a recruit still learning to handle the responsibility that comes with being a Green Lantern.
The investigation takes them to the American heartland, where what appears to be a local murder starts to reveal a much larger mystery. It is inspired by The True Detective.
The official description presents the story as an Earth-based investigation with cosmic connections.
This is one of the biggest differences between Lanterns and what many viewers may expect from a Green Lantern story.
The show is not being presented as a simple space adventure. It combines superhero mythology with crime and detective elements.
6) Who is in the cast of Lanterns?
The two main stars are Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart.
The other cast members include Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry, Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe, and Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro
The series is created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, with Mundy serving as showrunner.
7) Is Lanterns part of a franchise/universe?
Lanterns is a new series set within the new DCU (DC Universe). It is produced by DC Studios, where James Gunn and Peter Safran are co-CEOs. So, this is set in the same world as Superman (2025), Peacemaker, and Supergirl (2026).
You will even see Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern, played by Nathan Fillion in the show, who made his debut in James Gunn’s Superman movie. There are many more connections revealed in the show.
However, Gunn has repeatedly said that viewers will not have to watch every single previous entry in the universe, and each DCU project is being made to work as its own story while still connecting to the larger universe.
Also, it has zero connection to 2011’s Green Lantern movie.
8) How are the reviews?
Lanterns has received a positive response from critics ahead of its release. According to Rotten Tomatoes, Season 1 has a 90% Tomatometer score.
Critics like the series as a grounded and controlled take on the Green Lantern story, while also praising the performances of Chandler and Pierre. Their chemistry as Hal and John has been one of the areas that critics have responded well to.
The reviews also suggest that Lanterns is taking a different approach from a typical superhero series. Instead of focusing only on large-scale action and cosmic battles, the show puts more attention on its mystery genre.
Takeaways
Now you know about the release date, episode schedule, cast, story, and streaming details of the Lanterns series for Indian fans.
This is the second project in the DCU where James Gunn is not involved. We already know what happened with Supergirl this year; it was not bad, but it underperformed so badly. So, I want to see whether they can recover from that, and whether we get a great product in the universe where Gunn is not involved.
And if you don’t know who I am? I am Ranish Chauhan, a.k.a. Fulmino Fan, and I love Marvel & DC Superheroes and Sci-Fi movies. You can also check my YouTube channel.