HBO’s Lanterns Debuts To Record-Setting DC Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
The DC Universe lands a major victory in 2026 for one of its most hyped up properties.
James Gunn’s DCU slate took a bit of a hit this summer with the Supergirl film, as the Girl of Steel’s return to the big screen resulted in poor box office results, along with a mixed reception. However, as the franchise moves forward, its latest endeavor is bringing new success to the filmmaker’s superhero continuity.
The Lanterns TV show has officially premiered as of August 16, after airing episode 1, “Pilot,” on HBO, while also releasing it on HBO Max. As viewers are finally catching the DCU drama, the audience score has debuted at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, setting several new records for Gunn’s franchise.
DC Universe Projects
Audience Score
Rotten Tomatoes Score
Superman
90%
83%
Lanterns Season 1
89%
95%
Peacemaker Season 1
87%
93%
Peacemaker Season 2
79%
94%
Creature Commandos Season 1
79%
95%
Supergirl
73%
52%
As of writing, the HBO series is not only the second highest-rated project from the DCU slate, but the most well-received TV series from DC Studios with audience members, beating both Creature Commandos season 1 and Peacemaker seasons 1-2. It has also surpassed the Elseworlds property, The Penguin, set in The Batman universe, as the Colin Farrell-led spinoff is sitting at 85% on the Popcornmeter.
It’s key to take into account that the % for Lanterns’ audience score, as well as its Rotten Tomatoes rating, is still subject to change. As viewers and critics continue to log their ratings on the respective meters, it could get higher or lower over the coming days and weeks.
The Hal Jordan and John Stewart-centric adventure is already off to a solid start among critics and audiences, following a long build-up to the Green Lantern Corps-focused property. In ScreenRant’s Lanterns season 1 review, Felipe Rangel gave the Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre-starring show a 9/10.
Rangel addressed how “Hal Jordan and John Stewart perfectly complement one another in Lanterns, and this both generates hilarious clashes due to their different personalities, while also being exactly what they needed to get to the bottom of what is going on in Rushville.” In addition to that, he expressed that “Lanterns is the solo Green Lantern project that DC fans deserve, with exciting action, complex characters, and a gritty, magnetic story.”
Sector 2814 · Corps Edition How Well Do You Know Green Lantern Lore?
🌟CorpsProtect
💎RingsPower
☠VillainsFear
💡LanternsWill
🌌UniverseOa
01
The Green Lantern Corps is an intergalactic peacekeeping force powered by the emotional spectrum. Each Green Lantern’s ring is fueled by a specific emotion. Which emotion powers the Green Lantern rings?
✓ Correct! Willpower is the green light on the emotional spectrum, sitting at the very center. The Guardians of the Universe chose willpower because it is the most stable and disciplined of all emotions, making it the ideal force for a peacekeeping corps that spans 3,600 sectors of space.
✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is Willpower. Hope powers the Blue Lantern Corps, Love fuels the Star Sapphires, and Courage isn’t a force on the emotional spectrum. Willpower — the green light — is the foundation of every construct a Green Lantern creates.
02
The most famous Green Lantern in DC Comics is a test pilot from Coast City who was chosen by a dying alien’s ring to become the Green Lantern of Sector 2814. Who is this character?
✓ Correct! Hal Jordan was introduced in Showcase #22 (1959), inheriting the ring from the dying alien Abin Sur. As a fearless test pilot, Hal was the perfect candidate — his indomitable willpower made him one of the greatest Green Lanterns in the history of the Corps.
✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is Hal Jordan. John Stewart is a fellow Earth Lantern and architect, Guy Gardner is the brash backup Lantern, and Kyle Rayner became a Lantern after Hal’s fall. But Hal Jordan is the test pilot from Coast City who defined the modern Green Lantern legacy.
03
The Green Lantern Corps is headquartered on a planet at the center of the universe, where the Guardians of the Universe reside. What is the name of this planet?
✓ Correct! Oa sits at the center of the DC Universe and serves as the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. It houses the Great Battery — the Central Power Battery that channels willpower energy to every Lantern ring across all 3,600 sectors of space.
✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is Oa. Maltus is the Guardians’ original homeworld before they migrated, Mogo is a sentient planet that is itself a Green Lantern, and Zamaron is the home of the Star Sapphires. Oa is the iconic green-tinged world at the heart of it all.
04
Sinestro was once the greatest Green Lantern before he was corrupted by his own desire for order and control. He created his own corps powered by a different emotion on the emotional spectrum. What emotion powers Sinestro’s yellow rings?
✓ Correct! The Sinestro Corps wields yellow rings powered by fear. Sinestro believed that fear was a more effective tool for maintaining order than willpower, and he recruited the most terrifying beings in the universe to prove it. The Sinestro Corps War remains one of the greatest Green Lantern storylines.
✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is Fear. Rage powers the Red Lanterns, Avarice (greed) fuels the Orange Lantern Larfleeze, and Death powers the Black Lanterns. Sinestro’s yellow rings channel fear — the direct opposite of willpower on the emotional spectrum.
05
The Green Lantern ring is one of the most powerful weapons in the DC Universe. It can create solid constructs of green light shaped by the wearer’s imagination. What is the ring’s one notable weakness in classic stories?
✓ Correct! For decades, the Green Lantern ring was powerless against anything colored yellow. This “yellow impurity” was later revealed to be caused by Parallax, the fear entity, imprisoned within the Central Power Battery on Oa. Once Parallax was removed, experienced Lanterns could overcome the weakness.
✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is the color yellow. Water was the weakness of the original Golden Age Green Lantern Alan Scott (whose ring was magic-based), not the Corps rings. The classic Silver Age weakness was yellow — leading to many creative villain strategies involving yellow objects.
06
John Stewart is a prominent Green Lantern who became a household name through his role in the Justice League animated series (2001–2006). Before becoming a Green Lantern, what was John Stewart’s profession?
✓ Correct! John Stewart was an architect before becoming a Green Lantern, which is reflected in his precise, structurally detailed ring constructs. While some later adaptations added a military background, his classic comic book profession is architect — and it shapes how he uses the ring in beautifully engineered ways.
✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is Architect. While the Justice League animated series gave John a Marine background, his original and most iconic profession in the comics is architect. This is why his ring constructs are known for their precise, detailed engineering — he literally designs them.
07
The emotional spectrum in DC Comics features seven corps, each tied to a different color and emotion. Which corps is powered by rage and wields red rings?
✓ Correct! The Red Lantern Corps, led by Atrocitus, is fueled by pure rage. Their rings replace the wearer’s blood with burning red plasma, and they vomit corrosive napalm-like blood as a weapon. Atrocitus founded the corps to seek vengeance against the Guardians for the Manhunter massacre of Sector 666.
✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is The Red Lantern Corps. The Sinestro Corps wields yellow rings of fear, the Orange Lantern is Larfleeze alone (powered by avarice), and the Black Lanterns are undead entities. The Red Lantern Corps, led by Atrocitus, channels pure burning rage.
08
Parallax is one of the most significant threats in Green Lantern lore. It is the living embodiment of fear and has possessed multiple Green Lanterns. In the iconic “Emerald Twilight” storyline, which Green Lantern did Parallax corrupt and drive to destroy the Corps?
✓ Correct! In “Emerald Twilight” (Green Lantern #48–50, 1994), a grief-stricken Hal Jordan — devastated by the destruction of Coast City — was corrupted by Parallax. He defeated every Green Lantern in his path, drained the Central Power Battery, and destroyed the Corps, becoming the villain Parallax. Geoff Johns later revealed that the fear entity had possessed Hal all along.
✗ Your ring’s charge is low on that one! The answer is Hal Jordan. After Coast City was destroyed by Mongul and the Cyborg Superman, Hal’s grief made him vulnerable to Parallax. He marched through the Corps, defeated every Lantern, and absorbed the Central Battery’s power. Kyle Rayner received the last ring after Hal’s fall, becoming the sole Green Lantern for years.
Ring Scan Complete Your Power Level
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Are you worthy of the ring — or does your willpower need recharging?
The Lanterns show comes from Chris Mundy, who serves as the showrunner, along with executive producers Tom King and Damon Lindelof. While season 2 has yet to be decided by HBO and DC Studios, the DCU is not done with the Emerald Knights after 2026.
Pierre will reprise his role as John Stewart in the Man of Tomorrow movie, which is in production right now and scheduled to open in theaters on July 9, 2027. However, he won’t be the only Green Lantern, as Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, who will appear in Lanterns season 1, is set to come back for the Superman continuation.
