HBO’s upcoming ‘Lanterns’ series has largely been marketed as a grounded, character-driven entry into the DC Universe, part cosmic mystery, part interstellar cop drama. However, behind the scenes of its initial videos and well-thought-out teases, there seems to be something much more sinister.
The latest trailer, paired with years of casting speculation and esoteric comic knowledge, indicates that ’Lanterns’ could be establishing the groundwork of one of the most terrifying mythologies of DC.
Why ‘Lanterns’ Feels Like DCU’s First True Horror Story
Instead of just bringing in Hal Jordan and John Stewart as the defenders of the Earth, ‘Lanterns’ is perhaps quietly setting itself up as the entry point to a more sinister cosmic epic. This extends beyond just the Green Lantern Corps and into the horrifying legacy of death, corruption, and evil. And if the clues are pointing in the right direction, the DCU may already be preparing audiences for its first truly apocalyptic villain arc.
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We finally saw the first real glimpse of Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler, and John Stewart, played by Aaron Pierre. The video focused on stress, discipline, and a really rough training relationship. This is in stark contrast to the more inspirational Green Lantern images that fans would have hoped to see. However, what really caused raised eyebrows was not what the teaser displayed, but what it suggested.
Previous footage shown at private events like the HBO Max Upfront in Brazil allegedly showed a major story twist: Hal Jordan was not intended to be John Stewart’s original mentor. Rather, he is acting on behalf of another person. That omission is intentional, particularly in a show so committed to legacy and order. To longtime DC fans, there is one name that immediately comes to mind, and that is Katma Tui.
Katma Tui was instrumental in molding John Stewart into the hero he is in several Green Lantern stories. Most prominently in the animated ‘Justice League’ series. She was not only a trainer, but a moral compass and a strategist. Moreover, her influence went much further than her screen time. Should Lanterns bring Katma Tui as a missing or past character, it would immediately widen the emotional and mythological range of the show. It would also be the reason why the training was the way it was.
‘Lanterns’ Villain Could Be Hiding In Plain Sight
James Gunn has already referred to ‘Lanterns’ as a story where Hal Jordan and John Stewart discover an ancient horror on Earth. That phrase alone is loaded with implications. Green Lantern villains tend to be about fear, willpower, and cosmic imbalance. However, ancient horror implies something much more primal. Here, the Black Hand theory becomes terrifyingly plausible.
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Month after month, rumors claimed that Garret Dillahunt is portraying a character named William Macon, a ruthless but charming modern cowboy. This, when put side by side with DC Comics lore, the pieces begin to fall into place. Black Hand’s real name is William Hand. He is not just a villain in the comics; he is the creator of one of the darkest storylines in DC, the Blackest Night. His fascination with death, dead bodies, and cosmic entropy makes him the herald of the Black Lantern Corps.
What is more chilling is the role of Katma Tui in this equation. Tui ends up as one of the fallen in DC Comics, a hero who has been brought back as a Black Lantern. By introducing her presence, even retroactively, the show might be setting emotional landmines in the future. Such narration does not merely create a villain; it creates trauma. And trauma is what makes superhero stories more than spectacle. Moreover, if these theories hold true, HBO’s ‘Lanterns’ won’t just expand the DC Universe; it will darken it.
