The DCU is so back as Lanterns sets new record for biggest ever premiere for a DC Studios show
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The new DC Universe series Lanterns has achieved record viewership for a DC Studios release, drawing 9.3 million viewers worldwide and 6.6 million in the US during its first three days on HBO and HBO Max. This marks the strongest opening performance compared to previous DC shows including The Penguin, which required eleven days to reach the same viewership level.
The series has been bolstered by strong critical reception, holding a 94% critic rating and receiving 4.5 out of 5 stars from reviewers who praised its narrative structure and lead performances from Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre. The viewership success places Lanterns in HBO's top five series premieres overall and suggests renewed commercial viability for the DC Studios slate after earlier underperformance.
- Lanterns premiere reached 9.3M global viewers in 3 days, the largest debut for any DC Studios series
- The show ranks among HBO's top five series premieres and earned 94% critical approval
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Lanterns is a new television series set in the DC Universe, following characters connected to the Green Lantern mystique, and forms part of DC Studios' wider relaunch of its film and TV output under co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran. It airs on HBO and HBO Max, and stars Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre in the lead roles.
The wider context is that DC's recent screen output has had a mixed track record commercially, with some previous shows and films struggling to find large audiences quickly. That makes early viewership figures and critical reviews for any new DC release closely watched, as they are seen as an indicator of whether the franchise's revamped approach under Gunn and Safran is resonating with audiences and critics.
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