Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart finally flies, and his next stop is Man of Tomorrow

Spoilers ahead for the Lanterns season 1 finale.

John Stewart finally flew. In the last minutes of the Lanterns season 1 finale, Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart charges his ring, says an oath he wrote himself and soars across the night sky over Rushville, Nebraska, as a full Green Lantern.

The next time fans see him won’t be in Lanterns, though. Pierre is set to return as John Stewart in Man of Tomorrow, James Gunn’s sequel to Superman, which reaches cinemas on 9 July 2027. HBO had not announced a second season when the finale aired.

How did Lanterns season 1 end?

The finale, Episode 8, “Dirt and Stars”, streamed on HBO Max on Sunday, 4 October 2026 at 9pm ET (2am WAT on Monday). It was written by showrunner Chris Mundy with co-creators Damon Lindelof and Tom King, and directed by Alik Sakharov, according to The Ringer.

It closed the mystery that ran all season: who killed Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler)? Here is how it played out:

• The killer: John works out that Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) shot Hal, out of fear for her son, Noah, a teenager who turns out to be a Manhunter. John chooses to let Noah live and does not turn Kerry in.
• The ring: John recovers Hal’s ring and charges it with a lantern forged by Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen) on a dying planet soaked in fear gas, which leaves yellow streaks in the green.
• The oath: John rewrites the Green Lantern oath so that it embraces fear instead of denying it. Hal’s last advice to him is “Don’t be afraid to be afraid.”
• Goodbye, Hal: the “Halogram”, a copy of Hal stored in the ring, tells John he is ready and disappears once the ring is charged.
• Guy Gardner: Nathan Fillion’s Guy turns up, and John tells him to think of him as an independent contractor: “No Guardians, no Corps.” Guy can have the stars; John keeps Earth.

Then comes the moment fans waited eight episodes for. John takes off for the first time, flying through a sky lit by Rushville’s green lantern signal.

Is Lanterns over?

Season 1 is over, and nothing more is confirmed. As of the finale, HBO had not renewed the show, The Ringer reported. Mundy told SlashFilm the team made “our little eight-episode thing” and wanted it to “end very definitively”. Lindelof said where the characters go “in Season 2 and beyond” is anyone’s guess.

Not everyone loved the quiet ending. Forbes called the finale “mostly predictable”, while The Ringer praised it as a well-earned close to John and Hal’s story.

When does John Stewart return in Man of Tomorrow?

Man of Tomorrow opens on 9 July 2027. The Hollywood Reporter first reported in March 2026 that Pierre had joined the cast. David Corenswet returns as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, who are pushed into an uneasy team-up against Brainiac, played by Lars Eidinger.

Lindelof told SlashFilm he has not read the script and doesn’t know how John fits in. Pierre himself has hinted at the bigger stage, telling Rotten Tomatoes that John has long dreamed of moments “where there is a galactic threat”.

One thing fans are still waiting for: the classic Green Lantern suit. John never puts it on in season 1, so his first full suited appearance could come in the film.

Who is Aaron Pierre?

The British actor is one of the busiest young leading men in Hollywood. He voiced the young Mufasa in Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King (2024), led Netflix’s action thriller Rebel Ridge (2024) and, before all that, played the Kryptonian Dev-Em in Syfy’s Krypton (2018), where he also crossed paths with Brainiac.

FAQ

Does John Stewart fly in Lanterns?
Yes, for the first time in the final scene of Episode 8, “Dirt and Stars”, after he recites his own version of the Green Lantern oath.

Who killed Hal Jordan in Lanterns?
Sheriff Kerry Kane, played by Kelly Macdonald, shot Hal to protect her son, Noah.

Is there a Lanterns season 2?
Not yet. HBO had not announced one as of the finale on 4 October 2026.

Where can I watch Lanterns?
All eight episodes are on HBO Max. Availability depends on where you are, so check the streaming services in your country.

Should John Stewart get his own movie, or is Man of Tomorrow the right next step? Tell us in the comments.