The DCU has only just exited a bit of a stressful period. With the Paramount merger came speculation that James Gunn could already be in troubled waters in terms of his ongoing role, and that would have, in turn, meant significant uncertainty for the larger relaunch of the franchise, which has really only recently gotten off the ground. Although DC fans remained fairly divided throughout that entire discourse regarding what they wanted the outcome to be, with some wanting to see Gunn stay on and others still holding out hope that the Snyderverse will some day make its return, ultimately, it was confirmed that Gunn is expected to stay on in his current capacity. Now, yet another update has come through, this one on the heels of the Lanterns finale last night, and it is also an optimistic sign for the DCU.
Lanterns was an interesting addition to the DCU, especially because it was testing the waters, to a degree, as far as the potential success of DCU shows moving forward, particularly after the seeming dip in interest following Supergirl’s unfortunate flop at the box office. However, season 1 was also potentially going to be its first and only, as there had been no official confirmation that season 2 was coming, nor was there really an indication of serious chatter about that possibility. Thankfully, though, following last night’s season 1 finale, it seems season 2 may now be truly in the works. In an interview with Collider, Lanterns co-creator Damon Lindelof dropped two tidbits about a possible season 2, at one point referencing “writers who are working on ideating on Season 2” and at another saying “Where they go in Season 2 and beyond.” Based on that, it seems, season 2 is more than likely happening.
While no one has outright confirmed that Lanterns season 2 is officially in the works, this has been the most promising update so far, and it makes sense. Lanterns proved to be quite popular, which was very much in question ahead of its release and has no doubt taken some by surprise. Yet, there are myriad factors at work here in terms of why the show gained popularity—factors that no doubt have contributed to the strong possibility of season 2. For one, the cast is dynamic and compelling, and that was a major win for the show and quickly had audiences invested. Additionally, particularly with the arrival of Guy Gardner, this show has a direct tie-in to Superman and, presumably, Man of Tomorrow, which are currently among the biggest, if not the outright biggest, present and future DCU movies.
It should really therefore come as no surprise that the powers that be want to keep the show going, and that might only be all the truer as the franchise begins to take greater risks (the DCU’s first R-rated horror movie, Clayface, comes out later this month, and the bizarre mockumentary series The People v. Gorilla Grodd is also actively in the works). If this show is working, there’s no reason to stop it, so in all likelihood, we will actually get to see these characters return in a second season.
Did you catch the Lanterns season 1 finale? Are you excited to see what happens in season 2? Share your thoughts below.
