DC Studios co-chief Peter Safran says fans should hear news about a potential Lanterns Season 2 before the end of 2026. However, HBO has not officially renewed the controversial Green Lantern adaptation.
Safran’s update follows a first season that sharply divided viewers over its treatment of Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and the franchise’s cosmic mythology.
While the executive described the series as a successful return for Green Lantern, its reception tells a more complicated story. Strong critical reviews and substantial reported viewership have accompanied considerable dissatisfaction among fans.
Peter Safran Says Lanterns Season 2 Depends on the Story
Speaking with Collider, Safran indicated that news about the show’s future should arrive “before the end of the year.” Whether another season happens will depend on the material developed by its writers’ room.
Safran described the goal as finding a “worthy successor to a beloved and great first season.” He also argued that Lanterns had returned Green Lantern to popular culture “in a really positive fashion.”
Peter Safran at the Supergirl premiere – The Upcoming, YouTube
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Viewers who believe the adaptation mishandled its central characters will undoubtedly dispute that assessment. Nevertheless, Safran’s comments establish that development is underway without guaranteeing that HBO will order additional episodes.
His enthusiasm also raises questions about which creative choices DC considers worth preserving. If executives view Season 1 as an unqualified creative success, dissatisfied fans may have little reason to expect substantial changes.
Lanterns Has a 68% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
At the time of writing, Rotten Tomatoes lists Lanterns with a 68% audience score from more than 2,500 ratings. Its critics’ score stands considerably higher at 91% from 86 reviews.
That 23-point gap highlights the divide between professional critics and viewers submitting audience ratings. While reviewers have overwhelmingly recommended the series, audience enthusiasm has been considerably more restrained.
John Stewart in Lanterns – HBO Max
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Geeks + Gamers reported that Lanterns had the lowest audience score among released DCU projects when it stood at 69%. The score has since slipped another point.
The backlash extends beyond complaints about the Earthbound setting. Viewers have criticized Hal Jordan’s characterization and fate, the rewritten Green Lantern oath, and John Stewart’s backstory, including childhood training some viewers describe as abusive.
For those fans, the disappointment centers on how much of Green Lantern’s identity survived the transition into a bleak, True Detective-inspired drama.
Independent Ratings Complicate HBO’s Success Story
Warner Bros. Discovery promoted substantial viewing figures for Lanterns, claiming Episode 3 attracted 10 million global viewers during its first three days.
However, those internal figures deserve scrutiny alongside independent measurements. According to Geeks + Gamers, Lanterns fell from No. 2 to No. 4 in Samba TV’s weekly U.S. streaming rankings between August 17–23 and August 24–30.
Fourth place hardly establishes a flop. A ranking decline also does not necessarily mean fewer people watched, since competing releases can push a growing series down the chart.
Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in Lanterns – HBO, DC Studios
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Still, that early slippage complicates the studio’s celebratory presentation. Samba TV’s U.S. household rankings and the company’s reported viewer totals measure different things over different periods, preventing a direct comparison.
Neither measure alone establishes Lanterns as an enduring success. Attracting viewers to a recognizable DC property is one achievement; keeping them invested through another season is a separate challenge.
Season 2 Could Keep Green Lantern Grounded
Fans hoping a renewal would bring a dramatic shift toward intergalactic adventure should temper those expectations.
Showrunner Chris Mundy has already indicated that a potential continuation would remain primarily grounded on Earth, while allowing occasional excursions into the wider mythology.
That suggests DC could retain the approach responsible for much of the first season’s controversy.
Safran clearly believes Lanterns has given Green Lantern a successful new foundation. Whether that assessment leads to another season should become clearer before the end of the year, when he says fans can expect news.
If the series returns, the bigger question will be whether DC addresses the criticism or doubles down on the choices that left so many fans disappointed.
Do you think there will be a Lanterns Season 2? Sound off and let us know!
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