The DCU series Lanterns, streaming on HBO Max, has been praised for avoiding a persistent flaw in superhero television: sidelining female characters in male-led stories. Star Poorna Jagannathan, speaking ahead of an interview for Collider Ladies Night, said the genre typically treats women's and men's stories as separate, with women in male-led projects reduced to romantic interests or minor supporting roles. She argued Lanterns breaks this pattern despite centring on two male leads, Hal Jordan and John Stewart, giving its female characters genuine narrative weight and agency.

Although Lanterns follows Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) investigating strange events in Rushville, Nebraska, the show gives substantial roles to women including Jagannathan's Zoe Macon, Jasmine Cephas Jones's Bernadette Stewart and Kelly Macdonald's Sheriff Kerry Kane. Each has distinct motivations shaping the plot, from Bernadette safeguarding John's future to Kerry protecting her town, while Episode 4 strongly hints that Zoe is secretly the villain Manhunter. The article contrasts this with past DC and Marvel productions, citing Wonder Woman's diminished presence in Justice League as an example of the genre's tendency to underuse female characters outside female-led projects.