Late last week, a new trailer for DC’s Studios’ “Lanterns” debuted in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, offering fans a more comprehensive look at the upcoming HBO series. Among the many teases shown in the trailer, perhaps the biggest was the reveal of the series’ villains: the Manhunters.
Since the first teaser dropped, information regarding the show’s antagonists had been scarce. It’d been long since confirmed that Ulrich Thomson would portray Hal Jordan’s iconic, longtime archenemy Sinestro, but no word had been given as to whether or not he’d be the primary villain facing off against Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart and Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan. While Thomson’s take on the character was glimpsed in the trailer, his imprisonment indicates he won’t be the series’ overarching threat. Instead, that role will be occupied by a new, different take on the Manhunters.
No Man Escapes the Manhunters
The history of the Manhunters in DC Comics continuity is a long and complicated one. Their first appearance is often credited as “1st Issue Special” #5, written and drawn by Jack Kirby, and published in 1975. However, the backstory they’re most prominently known for wasn’t established until two years later by Steve Englehart and Dick Dillin in the pages of “Justice League of America” #140. In that issue, it was established that the Manhunters were the first attempt by the Guardians of the Universe to create a universal police force before they began the Green Lantern Corps.
The premise has seen a few alterations here and there over the years, but the overall story has largely remained the same. The Manhunters served their duty until they went rogue in their mission of protecting the universe, prompting the Guardians to battle and ultimately destroy their errant creations. However, remnants of the robotic legion persisted and proceeded to wage war on their creators and the Green Lantern Corps that replaced them.
That desire for vengeance has taken many shapes over the years and seen the Manhunters rear their heads in almost as many different ways. In 1988’s “Millennium” event, they utilized agents hidden among humanity to combat Earth’s costumed heroes. Nearly 20 years later, the Manhunters fell under the command of Hank Henshaw, aka Cyborg Superman, as part of the Sinestro Corps in the lead-up to the widely beloved “Sinestro Corps War” storyline. While HBO’s upcoming “Lanterns” doesn’t appear to directly adapt either story, the former might provide some clues as to the activities of the Manhunters’ live action counterparts.
Lanterns vs. Manhunters
GettyIn the trailer, viewers were treated to another look at the small-town murder mystery Hal Jordan and John Stewart are investigating, but the grounded-looking narrative wasn’t quite as it appeared on the surface. Among the alien planets and wormholes, the trailer also revealed that the assailants, previously believed to be human beings, very well might be Manhunters in disguise.
Voiceover by an unknown character describes them as “the most dangerous beings to ever exist in the galaxy,” capable of shapeshifting into any species. The initial line of dialogue closely matches the Manhunters of the comics, but the second half raised a few eyebrows among fans. The Manhunters possessing the ability to shape shift is a departure from the source material, even recalling a similarly named but ultimately unrelated character – the Martian Manhunter. However, despite being a confusing change to many, others were quick to point out the similarities to the aforementioned “Millennium” crossover event, citing it as a possible, unexpected inspiration for the show. Others also drew comparisons to the conflict with the Skrulls in Marvel’s negatively received “Secret Invasion” from 2023.
While full context has yet to be seen, the little revealed in the trailer points to the Manhunters’ long-standing feud with their ring-slinging successors being a key factor in the series’ story. But those unexpected changes, coupled with the Western setting and the “True Detective” style tone, are set to make “Lanterns” a familiar but different spin on the classic DC Comics property.
“Lanterns” stars Aaron Pierre, Kyle Chandler, Nathan Fillion, Garret Dillahunt, Kelly Macdonald and Poorna Jagannathan. The series will premiere on HBO Max on August 16, 2026.
