‘Lanterns’ Draws a Huge Global Audience, but HBO’s Season 2 Silence Is Getting Louder

Superhero TV has had a rocky few years, and every new series now arrives with a question hanging over it: will anyone actually watch? DC Studios put ‘Lanterns‘ to the test on HBO, pairing Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan with Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart in a gritty mystery rather than a flashy space opera. Created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King, the eight-episode series has been airing weekly on HBO and HBO Max.

Early on, the numbers were closely watched. The premiere opened to 9.3 million viewers worldwide, and Episode 3 climbed to 10 million, which remains the series’ global high. The show also reached Nielsen’s streaming Top 10 on its third try, landing at No. 8 with 500 million minutes watched and holding the spot a second week with 525 million.

Now, as the season heads into its finale, fresh data has landed. ‘Lanterns’ is averaging nearly 19 million viewers per episode worldwide. The figure comes from Variety, which reported on the show’s seventh episode.

According to the report, Episode 7 reached 7 million U.S. viewers in its first 3 days. That total combines Nielsen’s measurement of linear viewers on HBO’s cable channel with streams on HBO Max. The series is averaging above 12 million viewers per episode in the U.S., a number that grows to nearly 19 million when international viewing is included.

The seventh episode also tied the show’s U.S. high, matching the 7 million that Episode 3 drew in August. The show is also still pulling in newcomers, with 1.5 million new viewers watching the series premiere within the last week alone. HBO did not provide a worldwide total for Episode 7, unlike its earlier announcements.

Variety suggested the averages are likely to keep climbing. It pointed to ‘It: Welcome to Derry’, which saw 6.5 million U.S. viewers in 3 days with its most-watched episode, slightly fewer than the latest ‘Lanterns’ tally, and later reached a global average of 19.7 million.

The comparison that matters most is with HBO’s last DC series. Variety notes that ‘The Penguin’ concluded its run with an average of more than 27 million viewers per episode in 2024. That puts ‘Lanterns’ well short of that mark, though the final tally is not set until the finale airs.

Supporters of the show point to a different story. Bleeding Cool described ‘Lanterns’ as both a critical and viewership success story for HBO and DC Studios, despite social media trolling and review-bombing. Cosmic Book News noted that HBO has described it as the biggest DC launch in HBO Max history.

For all the strong numbers, there is still no official word on a second season. HBO has not renewed ‘Lanterns’, though the creative team has already started a writers’ room to explore potential stories. Cosmic Book News reported that HBO boss Casey Bloys said no ‘Lanterns’ Season 2 is in development, while The Ankler has reported a renewal is not imminent, with the showrunners writing pitch pages for HBO to consider.

Fans got a boost when James Gunn confirmed that the Oct. 4 finale is a season finale, not a series finale. That did not amount to a renewal, though, and Cosmic Book News noted that nobody at HBO has confirmed a season after it. Co-creator Damon Lindelof has said a second season happens if the show is successful.

There are signs the character will continue in the DCU either way. Aaron Pierre is expected to reprise John Stewart in Gunn’s upcoming Superman sequel, ‘Man of Tomorrow’.

The trailer for the final episode of 'LANTERNS' has arrived!

Premieres October 4 on HBO Max. pic.twitter.com/N9zTdjrQnY

— DC Film News (@DCFilmNews) September 28, 2026

The Season 1 finale, titled “Dirt and Stars,” airs Sunday, Oct. 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max. The finale will give HBO its final set of numbers for the season, and those figures are likely to shape the renewal conversation. With the global average already near 19 million and still rising, ‘Lanterns’ enters its last episode in a stronger position than its slow start suggested.

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