Lanterns Season 2 isn't a guarantee, but DC boss Peter Safran says a decision will be made as to whether or not it moves forward by the end of 2026.
Speaking with IGN, Safran confirmed that there is a writer's room currently hashing out ideas for the future of Lanterns right now, but it will all depend on whether or not they come up with a good enough story worthy of following up the first season. He noted that TV is an important part of DC's future, but that they're waiting to see if there's a story worth telling before giving the greenlight to Lanterns Season 2.
"The episodic world is always going to be a really important part of our overall slate, it's a great way to tell stories that need more real estate than a feature film can offer you, and it's a great way to introduce characters that we then bring into the feature world," said Safran. "And I think that Aaron Pierre and John Stewart are a perfect example of that. We introduced him in Lanterns, and audiences will see him next summer in Man of Tomorrow. So, it's really important to us in continuing to tell aspects of the story that we're not telling in the feature film world, so there's more to come.
"Listen, we'll see what happens with Lanterns Season 2. If, I think, the collective group of HBO and DC and Chris Mundy and the team all feel like we've got something that is a worthy successor to quite a beloved first season of television, then I wouldn't be surprised to see more."
Safran confirmed to Collider that it would have a decision on whether Lanterns Season 2 moves forward by the end of the year.
As Safran noted, John Stewart or the Lantern Corps will not suddenly cease to exist in the DCU if Season 2 doesn't move forward. John Stewart is already confirmed to appear in Man of Tomorrow, the sequel to James Gunn's Superman. Fans are also hoping that Hal Jordan will return, but... well, we'll just have to see what the future holds at this point.
Lanterns Season 1 certainly leaves the door open for more stories around Stewart and potentially Jordan, if the writers and showrunners play their cards right. The series is also one of HBO's most successful shows of the year, so it seems hard to imagine that the powers that be aren't hungry for another season of this show.
Lanterns managed to succeed due to its two charming leads, more mature tone, and compelling mystery. It successfully aped the style of True Detective while making itself feel unique in the extremely saturated comic book genre. Just two months before Lanterns' premiere, Supergirl bombed at the box office, and some fans began to fear the DCU was already in trouble. The success of Lanterns seems to disprove that idea.
Whether the show returns remains to be seen, but you can expect fans to have their pitchforks ready if DC and Warner Bros. don't give it the greenlight.