Despite a highly positive critical reception, Lanterns certainly has its share of detractors, and the decision to kill off Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) in the closing moments of the series premiere has only proven to be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fan pushback.
Even so, the series has become a major ratings hit for DC Studios and HBO Max, and the show continued to burn bright with Sunday's penultimate episode.
According to Variety, "The Jordan Boys' Legacy" reached 7 million viewers in the U.S. in its first three days of availability, with the season averaging above 12 million viewers per episode to date in the U.S. and nearly 19 million when factoring in international stats.
Lanterns still hasn't been officially renewed for a second season, but a new writing team has been assembled in anticipation of the greenlight. Chris Mundy is expected to return as showrunner, without writers Damon Lindelof and Tom King. Vanessa Baden Kelly will be back, along with new scribes Christopher Cantwell, Nakkiah Lui, Zack Whedon, and Selwyn Seyfu Hinds.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn addressed the criticisms of the show in a recent Threads post.
"I'd say avid comics readers are well aware of the differences from universe to universe. Whether it's the DCU or Earth 0 or the Absolute Universe, they all pay homage to these iconic characters, retelling their stories in different ways. Heck, even the MCU combined elements of the Ultimate universe, the 616, and original ideas."
"That's how these things work," he added. "But if you want the DCU to take the exact trajectory of whatever your favorite comics continuity is, that's probably not going to happen."
This Sunday's season finale is titled "Dirt and Stars," and you can check out some intriquing new footage in the teaser below.
HBO in association with Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios. The pilot episode is co-written by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, who are co-creators for the series. Mundy serves as showrunner. The first two episodes are directed by James Hawes, with Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Alik Sakharov also tapped to direct. The series is executive produced by Mundy, Lindelof, James Gunn, Peter Safran, King, Ron Schmidt, and Hawes. Based on the DC comic characters from Green Lantern.
The series stars Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Laura Linney, Jason Ritter, Ulrich Thomsen, Nathan Fillion, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Jasmine Cephas Jones.
The series follows new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.