James Gunn

is keeping things simple with his first wave of DCU

projects, and you won’t need a special timeline to keep track of what order to watch things in. In a recent Threads post, the writer/director and co-CEO of DC Studios confirmed the six projects that will see the DCU into 2026, including confirming a surprising order for two projects.
When first announcing the DCU slate a few years ago, Gunn listed 10 projects that would make up the first “chapter” of DC storytelling. Since then, several projects have been delayed, others have been added, and it has become clear that these projects will not be surging ahead as quickly as some fans presumed. However, one thing that Gunn has made clear is that anyone wanting to know what order they should watch DCU projects in. The answer is simply in the order they are released.

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Replying to a question on Threads about whether Gunn would be adding a DCU timeline to Max – soon to once again be inexplicably rebranded as HBO Max – he suggested that it won’t be needed at the moment as things will be quite linear. He then listed the order of the DCU slate, including revealing that the Lanterns series will be arriving before Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. He wrote:

“As of now it’s basically as the movies and shows come out – although, of course, some of these feature flashbacks – Creature Commandos, Superman, Peacemaker, Lanterns, Supergirl.”

‘Lanterns’ Will Likely Be Released Early in 2026

DC Comics

It seems that we now know that Lanterns will be arriving sometime early in 2026, certainly before June, when Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be hitting cinemas as the second DCU movie release.
This does make a lot of sense considering Creature Commandos was released in December 2024, Superman arrives in July, and Peacemaker Season 2 lands on Max on August 21, 2025. It would be hard to imagine Gunn wanting to leave almost a year between project releases, so that would mean Lanterns will likely be debuting sometime in later winter or early spring to fill the gap to Supergirl’s June 26, 2026 release.
Lanterns began filming last month, and the production seems to have been moving along at quite a pace. Early in May, star Jason Ritter gave a small tease about the show and its filming schedule. He said:

“We’ve shot 4 episodes so far, & we’re about to start shooting episodes 3 & 4. We’re doing it all a little out of order—it’s been so fun & it’s a really well-written, really fun show.”

The Lanterns series has been described as having a “buddy-cop” dynamic between its leads. While there are still very few details available about the show, the discussions about its “different” feel and tone have intrigued a lot of fans. While some have complained that the series appears to be restricting its action to an Earth-based story, which, considering the intergalactic nature of the Green Lanterns in the comics, has disappointed some, there are still plenty looking forward to seeing what the series can do to bring the Green Lantern franchise to a new audience.
Source: Threads

Lanterns (DCU)

Network

HBO

Directors

James Hawes

Writers

Tom King, Chris Munday

Franchise(s)

DC Universe