After Peacemaker's immersive second season finale, reports suggested that Lanterns was set to be the next DCU project to lead the universe into its 2026 slot. However, recent reports suggested that this might not be the case. The 2026 run of the DC Universe was expected to be the biggest for the franchise, with the Lanterns series and at least two feature films slated for release. According to reports, the series has now been delayed until after one of the other releases from the franchise.Keep reading to find out more about the change in the DC Universe's 2026 run.James Gunn's DCU has reportedly delayed the Lanterns' release View this post on Instagram Instagram PostDC Studios has been set on the multimedia approach after its revitalization, headed by Peter Safran and James Gunn, with the TV series being as important a part of the franchise as the theatrical releases. After Peacemaker ran in 2025, Lanterns was set to be the project that led the 2026 DCU slate.However, The Hollywood Reporter implied in their newsletter that this was not the case anymore, reporting that the Peacemaker Season 2 finale was the last rollout from the franchise until June's Supergirl:"After months of seemingly non-stop DCU, the Peacemaker season two finale hits next week and insiders are happy with the rollout, which has included its audience growing weekly and a strong 96 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. The finale will mark the last of the Gunn-verse we'll see until June's Supergirl."This changes the DCU's reported slate for 2026, meaning Supergirl might be the first project from the franchise, followed by the Lanterns series on HBO Max, and to wrap up the year, the horror extravaganza Clayface, which is currently being filmed in London.The HBO Max original series is set to star Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart. They will be joined by Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner and Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro, among other actors like Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, and Poorna Jagannathan. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostWhile the plot details are mostly being kept under wraps at the moment, the HBO original series has been described as a "prestige pulp detective show" with Hal Jordan as a "seasoned Lantern approaching retirement". The murder mystery story is set in Nebraska, where Jordan is training Stewart to replace him, but the two will be led into "darker mysteries as well as reckonings."The HBO original appears to be portraying a grounded story set in the larger sci-fi mythology in its eight-episode run, which will be important to the DC Universe as a whole as well. As per Aaron Pierre's conversation with Esquire in October 2025, Lanterns recently wrapped production, so even though the release might be delayed, it is not too far off:"We recently wrapped Lanterns. It was an enormous shoot. It was of a grand scale in every sense of the word....We’re all very proud of this and very excited. It’s been a long time coming for many fans and supporters."Keep reading Soap Central for all the updates on your favorite shows.