You can stop guessing about Lanterns — there’s a straight answer on season 2 now

Right then, let's talk about Lanterns — specifically, what’s going on with its second season before HBO has even confirmed they want one. The short version: the creative team are already hatching plans for season 2, operating on nothing more than a healthy sense of optimism and a bit of faith in the numbers, but there's nothing official just yet.

Writers Room: Green Light, Sort Of

Showrunner Chris Mundy told The Hollywood Reporter they’re already elbows-deep in trying to break the story beats for another run. According to Mundy, he and Christopher Cantwell (from Halt and Catch Fire) are plotting ahead as if the renewal will sort itself out. No scripts written, mind — we’re talking about the earliest brainstorming stage. HBO haven’t actually given them the go-ahead yet, which, let’s be honest, is pretty much normal these days for any series that isn’t breaking records from day one.

In his words during the interview, Mundy said, "We're about six weeks into laying out a season, and then we'll talk to folks about it really soon."

Here’s an important bit: Damon Lindelof and Tom King, who served as co-creators for season one, are both MIA for any future seasons. Lindelof is tied up running The Chain, while King is off piloting Mister Miracle, so don’t expect those two to pop back for the writers room this time.

Confidence Games & Character Shake-ups

Mundy’s overall tone is one of cautious optimism. He’s pushing forward as though season two is a sure thing, but without letting himself get too attached to the idea. The creative plan is to keep things feeling fresh, and apparently that involves telling the story in a ‘slightly different way’ with the familiar faces fans know from season one.

• James Gunn (yes, that James Gunn) remained mostly hands-off during Lanterns' debut season — he was tied up with Superman at the time, so Mundy and his lot got to do their own thing without much network meddling.
• Aaron Pierre’s take on John Stewart isn’t just hanging about on TV — his Green Lantern will also pop up in Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow film down the line, so the worlds are already bleeding into one another.

Mundy explained his approach on renewals: "You have to go forward with total confidence as if it's going to happen. If it doesn't happen, you also have to not be heartbroken."

At the moment, the eight-episode first season is still rolling out. New episodes hit HBO each Sunday all the way up to October 4. Critics are on side, but whether audiences turn up in big enough numbers to nudge HBO off the fence—well, that’s still a waiting game. For now, it’s all breaking story and no scripts, but the ambition's clearly there.