Realistic superhero drama Lanterns debuts on HBO Max with new approach.

DC's new superhero drama 'Lanterns' is making waves with its realistic approach, and showrunner Chris Mundy is at the helm. In an interview with GamesRadar+, Mundy revealed that the goal was to suspend disbelief and put viewers in the middle of a thrilling murder-mystery.

Realistic World-Building

Mundy explained that the team wanted everything to feel like it was part of the world, so they delved into the details of flying and its relationship to the ground and people around Hal Jordan. 'We have to talk about flying,' Mundy said. 'I don't know if I'm gonna direct this, depending on what the flying is.' The show's creators aimed to make the superhero elements feel normal and relatable.

The new series follows Green Lantern Hal Jordan and his trainee John Stewart as they investigate an otherworldly mystery in rural Nebraska. With a True Detective-esque mystery thriller tone, 'Lanterns' is tonally different from anything seen in the DCU before. The show isn't afraid to tackle darker themes and senseless violence.

One of Mundy's favorite aspects of the show is how normal the superhero elements feel. The Green Lantern ring itself needs to be charged like an iPhone, and the citizens are mostly unfazed by Hal Jordan being the 'guardian' of Earth. This approach makes the show more relatable and realistic.

Mundy emphasized that the team had many meetings about every tiny detail in terms of the world, look, feel, and texture. The goal was to create a hyper-realistic world that would suspend disbelief and put viewers in the middle of the story.

Lanterns is streaming now on HBO Max. For more, check out our Lanterns review, or stay up to date with our Lanterns release schedule.