Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised given the involvement of Damon Lindelof (Lost, Watchmen), but Lanterns' place on the DCU timeline isn't as cut and dry as we were hoping.
There are time jumps, flashbacks, and (as of the premiere episode, anyway) three timelines to consider, with reference to Hal Jordan's Green Lantern history tucked away in there too. So, let's untangle this knotty temporal situation with our guide on where Lanterns falls on the DCU timeline - and what it could mean for Aaron Pierre's John Stewart moving forward in Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.
For more, check out the in-flux lineup of DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, plus a fuller look at the upcoming DC movies in the works.
Where does Lanterns take place on the DCU timeline?
So far, the bulk of Lanterns takes place in Rushville, Nebraska in 2016. That's several years before the events of Superman (set around 2025), Peacemaker season 2 (a few months after Superman in 2025), and Supergirl (2026).
While heroes have been around for years – and metahumans for centuries – in the DCU, Superman has only been active for three years as of the events of his solo movie, which means Hal Jordan predates his service by decades.
In fact, Lanterns' opening 1996-set scene features a 60 Minutes interview with Hal, confirming he has been operating as a Green Lantern for at least a decade at that point. That means, by 2016, he has been part of the Lanterns Corp for at least 30 years.
Of course, there's the shocking cliffhanger that arrives in 2026 at the very end of Lanterns' first episode. We won't reveal story details here, but it does show John Stewart 10 years after being a trainee at Hal Jordan's side, which shows he's still a major part of the DCU. The character is then set to appear in next year's Man of Tomorrow.
So, right now, the DCU timeline, including Lanterns, looks like this:
- Hal Jordan becomes Green Lantern (mid-1980s)
- Lanterns episode 1 (2016)
- Creature Commandos
- Superman (2025)
- Peacemaker season 2 (2025)
- Supergirl (2026)
- Lanterns flash-forward (2026)
Got that? We're sure the DC timeline will only expand from here but, for now, at least it's not as complicated as watching the Marvel movies in order. Praise the Guardians for that.
For your more immediate plans, including when the next Lanterns episode is dropping, head on over to the Lanterns release schedule.
