Why HBO’s Lanterns is an important portrayal of Black superheroes

“Even in space, y’all don’t consider us” is arguably the most profound quote, thus far, from Lanterns. In episode three (“OutKast”), John Stewart’s (Aaron Pierre) mother, Bernadette (Jasmine Cephas Jones), says this to Lianna (Laura Linney), one of the all-knowing Guardians, of the Black experience on Earth. In one singular exchange, the thematic core of the HBO Max series is laid bare: Who deserves to be a superhero? In the Lanterns universe — and our world outside of television screens, for that matter — John represents something more than a single Lantern recruit. Instead, he is symbolic of a larger cultural conversation about the importance of Black superheroes. Let’s unpack why this is exactly what makes Lanterns so important, starting with the character’s first appearance in the DC Universe (DCU).

John Stewart’s introduction in Lanterns is accompanied by a storied history and a “first” badge that carries significant cultural weight. Created in 1971, John Stewart first appeared in Green Lantern #87 and became the first Black superhero to fight as a member of the Justice League. That’s more than 50 years of content and character development to include in the eight-episode run of the series’ first season. In the source material, John is described as being “belligerent and cocky” — a noteworthy departure from Pierre’s more restrained iteration in Lanterns.

Lanterns isn’t recycling John’s incalculable effect on culture, but rather it’s introducing a version of the superhero who reflects cultural conversations happening in 2026. That is to say, Lanterns doesn’t shy away from heavy-hitting discussions about race that extend beyond the DCU. In episode one (plainly titled “Pilot”), we see John as a child being trained by his father, John Stewart Sr. (J. Alphonse Nicholson), who shoots apples off a young John’s head in an attempt to desensitize him to fear and develop a sense of stoicism to prepare to inherit the fabled Green Lantern ring from Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), Earth’s first Green Lantern.

One of the more gripping narrative points is that John Sr. was considered as a candidate to be Earth’s first Green Lantern — yes, before Hal — but failed the test, where the intergalactic Guardians appear seemingly out of thin air and ask, “Are you afraid?” In a deeply affecting moment, John Sr.’s wife Bernadette derides Lianna for this manner of recruitment. “Do you know the differences in race on Earth?” she asks. “Do you know how unfair it is to ask a Black man in America if he is afraid?” before noting that every day her husband is terrified of persecution.

The friction between John Stewart and Hal Jordan at different stages in their careers is plainly stated. Hal is brash and withholding, not ready to cede the Green Lantern ring and title — his legacy — to Stewart, who will very clearly become his replacement. John, however, is incredibly level-headed, no doubt the result of the intense and often troubling training imposed by his parents. This is more than a rudimentary lesson in character development, though. There’s a very intentional dynamic here: Hal is white, and John is Black. Hal is afforded the freedom to be brazen and reactive in ways John was taught he cannot be. “They’re allowed to have tantrums. We’re not,” John Sr. notes of Hal’s behavior, compared to what’s expected of his son.

Episode three spends a chunk of time showing exactly how John was desensitized throughout his childhood — all the while showing Hal furtively investigating Rushville behind the scenes. The mystery is still ramping up, but one thing is abundantly clear: Lanterns is more than a superhero show. It’s a razor-sharp commentary on race in America. Instead of a series that simply displays a Black superhero, Lanterns unpacks the reality of hurdles Black superheroes must overcome before soaring off to fight crime, because the greatest injustice isn’t always a mysterious extraterrestrial — it’s the culture in which those superheroes live.

New episodes premiere every Sunday at 9 PM ET only on HBO Max.