The DC Cinematic Universe's (DCU) next series is taking shape after DC Studios head James Gunn confirmed who's involved in its forthcoming Lanterns TV show.
First reported by comic book fansite Nexus Point News, and later corroborated by Gunn on Instagram, the DCU's Green Lanterns series, which is part of DCU Chapter One, will be helmed by a creative trio with years of comic book and TV experience under their belts.
The most recognizable name among that contingent is Damon Lindelof, who co-created hit early 2000s show Lost, and whose other writing credits include the most recent Star Trek film trilogy, underappreciated TV show The Leftovers, Alien prequel flick Prometheus and 2019's Watchmen, a TV sequel to the beloved graphic novel of the same name. Lindelof will produce Lanterns alongside Gunn and DC Studios co-head Peter Safran.
Award-winning comic book writer Tom King, whose Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow graphic novel is being turned into a live-action DCU film, which will star House of the Dragon alumnus Milly Alcock as the titular superhero, is also on board as a producer. Gunn revealed King has been part of the DCU's creative team since the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) was revealed to be undergoing a reboot under his and Safran's stewardship.
Last but not least, Chris Mundy, who penned 44 episodes of the popular Netflix series Ozark, has been confirmed as Lanterns' head writer and showrunner. Mundy's involvement was first reported by the moderators of the DCU Leaks Reddit page in February.
Given their bodies of work, Lindelof and King might be more well known among general audiences, but Mundy is arguably the most perfect hire of the three. How so? Because he's also written six episodes of True Detective, which Gunn has previously called a particularly big influence on Lanterns, and worked on other crime-based productions including Criminal Minds. Mundy, then, is a particularly apt hire for a series that, as Gunn revealed during the DCU Chapter One line-up's unveiling in January 2022, will be a crime thriller centered around "a terrifying mystery that ties into our larger story of the DCU".
What else do we know about the DCU's Lanterns TV show?
We’ve uncovered the Writing and Producing Team officially attached to the ‘LANTERNS’ series!Read more about it at @NexusPointNews (https://t.co/uL7b0JxvpL) pic.twitter.com/eToc3qJfw9May 24, 2024
From an official standpoint, not too much. Indeed, the only other information we have – courtesy of Gunn – is that it'll feature three versions of the DC superhero known as Green Lantern. One of those iterations – Guy Gardner – will be portrayed by Nathan Fillion, who'll make his debut as this Green Lantern in Gunn's Superman movie in July 2025. The other two who'll appear in the show are Hal Jordan and John Stewart, but there's no word on who'll play the series' two protagonists, meaning Fillion's Gardner is expected to play a key supporting role.
A filming start date, shooting locations, and other cast announcements are yet to be revealed, too. We do, though, have an idea of who's joining Mundy in the writers' room. According to various author profiles on the Writers Guild of America website (as reported by Nexus Point News), Justin Britt-Gibson, Breannah Gibson, and Vanessa Baden Kelly will also pen the scripts for the DCU Chapter One – also known as Gods and Monsters – project.
Lanterns, which is one of the most exciting DCU movies and TV shows, according to TechRadar's team, doesn't have a confirmed release date, but it'll debut on Max in the US once it's ready to go. By the time it airs, Max should have launched in the UK and Australia – HBO Max's successor recently arrived outside of the US in select countries, but not in either of these nations. As long as Lanterns is released post-2025, which is when Max is expected to arrive on British and Australian shores, it'll surely make its bow on one of the world's best streaming services in these countries, too.
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