The highly anticipated “Lanterns” series has made a splash on HBO Max, achieving the biggest premiere viewership for a DC Studios show ever on the platform. This strong start is welcome news for James Gunn and Peter Safran as they continue to build out the new DC Universe.
A Bright Start for Lanterns
According to figures reported by The Hollywood Reporter”>The Hollywood Reporter, “Lanterns” garnered 9.3 million viewers worldwide within its first three days on HBO and HBO Max. A significant 71% of this global audience came from the United States. This impressive debut places “Lanterns” ahead of previous DC Studios premieres like “The Penguin,” “Peacemaker,” and even the animated series “Creature Commandos.” It also positions it among the top five premieres on HBO Max overall. The U.S. viewership figure alone (6.6 million) surpasses the premiere numbers for “IT: Welcome to Derry” and “True Detective: Night Country,” putting it just behind “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” with 6.7 million viewers.
Who’s Shining in Lanterns? Cast and Characters
While the early numbers are encouraging, the true test will be sustained viewership over the first 90 days of release. Showrunner Chris Mundy recently told THR”>THR that he is already outlining a potential second season. Whether Warner Bros. gives the green light for Season 2 remains to be seen.
“We feel good that we told the story in Season 1 well,” Mundy stated. “The question is whether [Season 2] is a story people are interested in. If that’s the case, then we’ll get to do another one. We’ll tell it in a slightly different way, so that it feels fresh, with characters you know and care about. We’re about six weeks into laying out a season, and then we’ll talk to folks about it really soon.”
Tone Wars: Gunn Defends “Lanterns” Grit
The premiere of “Lanterns” sparked considerable online discussion, although Gunn recently stepped in to defend the show’s more adult and gritty tone following last year’s bright and breezy Superman movie”>James Gunn recently defended the show’s more mature and gritty tone. This tonal shift is expected to continue with this October’s body horror film, “Clayface.” Next summer’s “Man of Tomorrow” will likely return to the PG-13 rating established by the previous “Superman” film.
John Stewart Joins Man of Tomorrow
Aaron Pierre’s portrayal of John Stewart will also appear in “Man of Tomorrow,” so it will be interesting to see how the character is adapted for a more family-friendly adventure. If Marvel Studios can successfully integrate The Punisher into a Spider-Man movie, I have no doubt that DC Studios can do the same with John Stewart and Superman.
What’s Next in the DC Universe?
Check out IGN’s spoiler-free review of the first episode of Lanterns Season 1″>spoiler-free review of the first episode of “Lanterns” Season 1. The series debuts on HBO and HBO Max”>debuted on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, August 16.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
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