HBO’s new DC superhero drama, Lanterns, will premiere on 16 August on HBO and HBO Max. Created by Damon Lindelof, Chris Mundy and comic writer Tom King, it matters as the next live-action television entry in James Gunn’s wider DC Universe and as a lead-in to a forthcoming DC film.

The neo-Western mystery follows Green Lantern Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler, as he trains new recruit John Stewart, played by Aaron Pierre, while they investigate a murder in Nebraska with suspected alien links. Their inquiry brings them into conflict with local figures and exposes a wider conspiracy; Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner will also appear, while Stewart is due to feature in the film Man of Tomorrow.