Lanterns trailer breakdown: Plenty of green, costumed Guy Gardner, Hal Jordan in suit, and is that Parallax?

Lanterns trailer features Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) being stuck with a rookie Green Lantern named John Stewart (Aaron Pierre).

The trailer for the upcoming DCU series, Lanterns, based on the DC Comics’ Green Lantern Corps, dropped on Monday. The show, which introduces two new Green Lanterns to James Gunn’s DC Universe, had a polarising first teaser. But the new trailer has been received much more positively, with viewers praising the action, powers, and visual effects. And it helps that the new trailer packs a lot of meat, including Easter eggs, cameos, and potential hints at the overarching nemesis in Lanterns’ lore.

Yes, there is a lot of green

The first trailer for Lanterns had been criticised for showing no Green Lantern constructs despite showing two Lanterns - Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). In fact, many joked that since the show didn’t have the word ‘green’ in its title, the makers had sucked all the colour out of it. The new trailer rectifies that. We see visuals of Hal using his ring, both in ways big and small. There is a lot of green on offer, too, and the colour palette of the show finally looks like a Green Lantern adaptation.

Hal Jordan suits up

Many fans are tentative about Lanterns as it has been described as a ‘True Detective-type’ story featuring the Green Lanterns. In the DC Comics, the GL Corps fights galactic and cosmic threats. Unlike Superman, they do not meddle in street-level affairs, which has worried fans about the show's scale. But the new trailer dispels all those fears. We see Hal Jordan in his suit, fighting gunmen and even taking a trip to some moon. There’s a lot of cosmic action involved.

Guy Gardner makes an appearance

Ever since James Gunn rebooted the DC film universe, the only Green Lantern seen on the big screen has been Guy Gardner. Nathan Fillion played the character in Superman. The new trailer shows the actor and the popular character make an appearance in the show, too. That makes sense given that an existing Lantern should cross paths with another. But given Nathan's name does not appear among the principal cast, his appearance is touted to be a cameo.

Wait, is that Parallax?

The Green Lanterns power their rings from the titular lantern. The green colour symbolises courage and fearlessness. Their natural enemy, consequently, is fear, represented by the yellow light. In the comics, Parallax, an entity powered by fear, is the Lanterns’ nemesis. A stray shot in the trailer appears to show yellow in Hal Jordan’s suit. That may just be a colour-grading effect, but it could also mean Hal is corrupted by Parallax, which explains why he is behaving very un-GL-like in the trailer, counterfeiting money and all.

All about Lanterns

Created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King for HBO, Lanterns stars Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, alongside Kelly Macdonald, Nathan Fillion, and Laura Linney. The series is set to premiere on HBO and Max on August 16.