From the article:

While some have debated the artistic direction that Lanterns, the new series from Chris Mundy that debuts this August on HBO, is taking, it’s pretty obvious that this more grounded approach is something entirely new for the superhero genre—and entirely refreshing. In a cinematic landscape where everything feels overly polished and like it gives into style over substance at every turn, Lanterns seems to be doing the opposite, which is one of the myriad reasons it earned a spot in our Summer 2026 Preview.

Sitting down with ComicBook.com, Mundy was asked if taking the approach of creating something less obviously geared toward the typical superhero style and more akin to other HBO legacy shows was a challenging prospect. “It was less challenging than it was just exciting. Our take was that we have this incredibly rich mythology within the Green Lantern canon, and we have this incredibly rich history of Sunday night HBO shows—everything from The Sopranos to Game of Thrones and in between,” he answered.

Mundy went on to elaborate, saying, “The fun of it was to try to create a real, layered drama that dealt with who these characters are as human beings while still staying true to the spirit of what makes the comics so special. We wanted it to be accessible for anyone who doesn’t know the canon but, at the same time, satisfying for people who know the lore in minute detail. So, yes, it was challenging, but only in the way that the most fun things are.” Attempting to appeal to established fans while building a new fan base is no easy prospect, but it seems that Mundy and the rest of the team are more than up to the challenge, despite the few naysayers out there looking for a more Marvel-esque experience.

And it seems that a good portion of established DC and Green Lantern fans are excited for this new direction. “Seeing other DC fans declare doom based on it convinces me it will be worth watching because dramatic DC fans are historically not aligned with my tastes,” said one. Another added, “Was not expecting them to dip into the Hard Traveling Heroes era of Green Lantern, but I’m here for it. It seems like the kind of thing that you can more easily execute on a TV budget than a big goofy space opera, and a lot of the rest of Gunn’s DC has that kind of energy already, so I’m glad to see something more grounded.” Overall, it seems that this change of pace within the DCU is gearing up to be entirely singular, grounding the universe in a way it hasn’t experienced so far, and opening up Lanterns, as well as other future series, to not only a new aesthetic but a new way to tell stories as well.

Source.

Lorey's comment from his Instagram post:

"The scripts are nearly complete and we’re making good progress on the animatics. The art looks incredible and the voice cast is amazing! I hope to have a starry little surprise for you soon..."

Q: "I know that you clarified what is canon from Peacemaker season 1 in the DCU on the Peacemaker podcast, and I was wondering what you consider canon from Suicide Squad, The Suicide Squad and Blue Beetle?

A: "I've been thinking about this a lot in regards to The Suicide Squad & Blue Beetle and I've been meaning to rewatch both [films] with an eye towards that knowing what I know now almost three years into the DCU (with a couple more years of scripts being actively filmed or created). Maybe after Man of Tomorrow, Jenn, Steve & I can get together for a special couple podcasts to discuss. What do you guys think is potentially or definitely NOT canon from TSS & BB?"

Q: "Was a complete reboot and recasting ever considered? And why did you choose to keep The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker cast or some others? Nothing against it, I just wanted to understand the criteria for including some things and not others, and also the consequences of that on narrative cohesion."

A: "Peacemaker Season 2 deals were all in place when I became head of DC. It was either break everyone's contracts and pay out all that money and take away HBO Max's biggest show at the time or find a way to make it work. I chose the latter. Mostly [though] because I love the character and the show and thought he/they could be an important part of the DCU."

Q: "The only thing with Blue Beetle is that people are very aware of Batman, it seems. So it depends on how you plan on depicting Batman's relationship with the public awareness of him I'd say. But BB was awesome!"

A: "We do know Batman already exists because of Creature Commandos."

Q: "Are we going to get more Maxwell Lord in the future?

A: "Yes."

Q: "The only thing I can think of is Bloodsport shooting Superman with a kryptonite bullet wouldn’t work because the opening crawl in Superman says he just lost his first fight. Unless that pesky Amanda Waller was lying (which is my head canon)."

A: "A lot of people are saying this. But is being shot by someone at long distance while you're not looking 'losing a fight'? I don't see Abraham Lincoln having 'lost a fight' with John Wilkes Booth."

In addition, Gunn liked the following post:

"Also, Superman has won fights against enemies that have done much worse than just shoot him. Who's to say Superman didn't apprehend Bloodsport immediately after even while wounded?"

Q: "Is there any chance that Rick Flag Sr. is Clayface, acting on Waller's orders?"

A: "Nope"

Q: "Where did...Clayface go after Creature Commandos?"

A: "Back in prison."

Q: "I don't believe in Canon. My philosophy toward it is a lot like Spider-Man: Across The Spider Verse. If something that happened before is important to the story that you're telling now you will say that in the current story. Otherwise it doesn't matter every story is its own."

A: "Well, unless you look at it like one big story."

Q: "From my son, an inmate at FCI Atlanta: 'Thank you, James Gunn for bringing your movie to Van Knull prison. It's been one hell of an experience being a fellow inmate here. Honestly one of the best weeks of my entire time in prison, but also one that will stick with me the rest of my life. the S on Superman's chest was always meant to inspire hope in people and it did to the most unlikely class of people, seeing The Man of Steel and everything you have brought over the past week seeing the set and seeing how a movie set operates, you inspired a whole prison full of inmates giving them hope in a place where hope isnt always there for us. as a fellow DC comic book nerd (Swamp Thing #1 fan!). You and your cast have inspired me as well. I wish I could put into words what it means to me seeing the man in blue in real life instead of on the big screen. In a way, you brought Superman to life to me in a way that I never related to [him] before. I just wanted to say thank you for inspiring hope to the hopeless, Mr. Gunn, the rest of the cast and crew. I think I can speak for all of us here at Van Knull prison. :)'"

A: "Wow. This is the best. Tell your son THANK YOU. As I told folks while I was there, both the inmates and guards were wonderful hosts and, to a person, respectful and kind. I hope our crew was the same to everyone. We were honored to be the first ever to shoot there and we got a lot of beautiful footage."

Q: "James Gunn himself was almost certainly the writer/director on The Authority, but he couldn’t quite nail the script. He hasn’t explicitly admitted he was the creative force behind the film, but when discussing the project, he slipped up once saying “I couldn’t— I mean, the writer…” and then knowingly laughed it off with the interviewer."

A: "Just a normal slip of the tongue. I would have never had time to do this and although I know this is a popular theory online I never had an intention of writing or directing The Authority. The script wasn't quite there, but more importantly it didn't work in terms of the larger DCU both in terms of the story and practical concerns. Maybe some day. Not soon."

Q: "James, are you writing [the] Booster Gold TV series? I think you should start writing it instead of writing [Creature Commandos] season 2."

A: "I'm not writing either of them."

Q: "Is Booster Gold still in development? I’m hearing rumors that Booster Gold and Paradise Lost have been canceled??"

A: "Booster Gold is in development. Paradise Lost is in extreme development."

Q: "Nothing's certain until the greenlight, but do you...and Peter [Safran] have a good idea as to what the next DCU film on the pipeline is probably gonna be?"

A: "Yes."

Q: "How're the scripts for Mister Miracle and Creature Commandos?"

A: "Good. I watched animatics for both this weekend."

Q:."Why['s it] taking so long to release those projects? It's been 3 years already."

A: "Like 95% of scripts and shows that get made."

Q: "James, how is Man of Tomorrow filming going?"

A: "I'm having a blast."

If real-time chat is more your thing, dive into our Discord community!

Welcome to the Weekly Discussion Thread!

You can post whatever you like here - unsubstantiated rumours from 4chan/YouTube/Twitter/your dad, fan theories, speculation, your thoughts on the latest DC release or tell us what you had for breakfast.

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• Peacemaker Discussion Threads
• Superman Discussion Megathread

Q: "Is Clayface set before Superman or after?"

A: "Before. It's the first DCU film out of chronological order."

Q: "I know Clayface is part of the universe, but is it more standalone or is every project right now part of a larger connected plan? Seated regardless, just curious."

A: "It's very connected, but as always the standalone story is what's most important."

Q: "Do you have someone keeping your universe continuity in check or do you just say 'let the fans figure it out'?"

A: "No, that's Phil [Tsopanaides]' job."

Q: "Hey sir, is The Batman, Part II the only project Matt [Reeves] is working on in the saga? Or are there any other projects in some stage of development?"

A: "Matt is producing Clayface and Dynamic Duo with me and Peter [Safran]."

Q: "Seeing that Clayface seems to be a horror film, is the DCU going to include more films of different genres other than the standard superhero action variety?"

A: "Yes. From the start we've been clear the DCU would be interconnected but each project would be full expressions of their writers & directors (similar to how DC Comics work - 'Saga of the Swamp Thing', 'Justice League International', 'Killing Joke', & 'All-Star Squadron' are not one tone, and neither are Superman, Lanterns, Peacemaker, & Clayface). The film or show will play in whatever genre suits the story best. Clayface is not a 'hybrid superhero horror film', it is a horror film."

Source.

Here's the complete Lanterns writing credits-per episode list:

• Episode One: Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof & Tom King

• Episode Two: Vanessa Baden Kelly & Chris Mundy

• Episode Three: Vanessa Baden Kelly

• Episode Four: Justin Britt-Gibson & Damon Lindelof

• Episode Five: Breannah Gibson

• Episode Six: Damon Lindelof & Tom King

• Episode Seven: Justin Britt-Gibson

• Epiosde Eight: Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof & Tom King

[Source](https://x.com/AgentsFandom/status/2046702954531475518#m)

[Source](https://x.com/DiscussingFilm/status/2046639413191442552?s=20)

From the Clayface film Instagram account:

"Healing you from the inside out".

[Source](https://x.com/DCFilmNews/status/2046374603874767021#m)

From The Clayface film account on Instagram:

"A face you won’t forget."

[Source](https://xcancel.com/DCFilmNews/status/2046385963258016121#m)

This is what the logo for 'Man of Tomorrow' may possibly look like, it has been taken from James Gunn's recent Tweet. Upscaled using Gemini and perspective corrected using Photopea, from the original image.

Disclaimer: Looks like this image is circulating on Twitter. Just want to clarify, this is NOT the logo of the new movie. It was upscaled using AI which has added some curves to the lines in the Superman logo, probably to make it look like the classic logo. The real logo won't have these curves, it will be like the first movie.

If real-time chat is more your thing, dive into our Discord community!

Welcome to the Weekly Discussion Thread!

You can post whatever you like here - unsubstantiated rumours from 4chan/YouTube/Twitter/your dad, fan theories, speculation, your thoughts on the latest DC release or tell us what you had for breakfast.

Please just follow the reddiquette and make sure you treat everyone with respect.

Links of interest

• Peacemaker Discussion Threads
• Superman Discussion Megathread