Lanterns is the latest TV show in James Gunn's rebooted DC Universe, and it continues an odd trend that first became apparent in this year's Supergirl. Like the 2026 film, Lanterns largely abandons the familiar costumes that made these characters popular in the first place. In the initial episodes, stars Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre are predominantly seen wearing plain clothes as they investigate a series of murders in a small town. Lanterns and Supergirl both seem to have their own reasons for making that decision, but it's an unusual choice, especially considering the sheer number of comic-inspired designs that appeared in last year's Superman movie.
In Superman, James Gunn offered a costume for the movie's titular hero that leaned heavily into the classic design. Most notably, Superman's controversial red trunks were brought back after Zack Snyder's Man of Steel movie went in a different design direction. Superman wasn't the only one wearing a comic-accurate look, as heroes like Guy Gardner, Mr. Terrific, Metamorpho, and Hawkgirl all did the same. So why does Lanterns barely feature these iconic suits?
In Episode 1 of Lanterns, Hal Jordan's first appearance on-screen shows the character taking part in a TV interview, where he appears in a costume similar to his classic comic design (minus the domino mask). However, the costume is abandoned for the rest of the episode. At one point, Hal can be seen at a restaurant, taking in the adoration of the public. When asked why he no longer wears a costume, Hal likens it to wearing a tie, something he wore when he was younger and doesn't feel obligated to wear now. The show's second episode, "Trust Fall," offers a little more of Hal in the suit. While Hal remains in plain clothes throughout most of the runtime, the episode ends with the hero donning the suit before meeting with Sinestro in an outer space prison.
Hal's limited use of the suit in Lanterns is particularly interesting to see after the most recent DCU movie. Supergirl barely featured actor Milly Alcock in costume, with the character wearing plain clothes throughout the majority of the film. Taken together, these two projects paint an interesting picture of DC's cinematic universe in its infancy. Hollywood has long had reservations about faithfully putting superhero costumes in adaptations, and this strange reservation at DC brings to mind the days when movie studios like Fox were afraid of putting characters like the X-Men in anything other than black leather. At this point, it feels like Superman's costumes are almost an outlier, rather than the standard.
With six episodes left in the season, Lanterns could offer more glimpses at Hal and other members of the Green Lantern Corps wearing their classic costumes. Given "Trust Fall"'s cliffhanger, it seems like a safe bet that fans will see more of Hal Jordan in space wearing his comic suit. It might be weird that it hasn't happened much already, but the marginalized use of costumes in the series does fit with the overall tone. Lanterns already feels closer to HBO's True Detective than it does to Superman, but with plenty of classic comic elements for good measure. It wouldn't make sense for Hal to travel through Rushville, Nebraska in full suit, especially considering some of his actions in the show. For one thing, Hal would have trouble stealthily removing dead alien bodies from a morgue in a full Green Lantern suit. The absence of costumes makes a lot more sense in Lanterns than it did in Supergirl, where it seemed more like a creative decision than anything else.
Even if Lanterns doesn't have Hal Jordan or John Stewart in costume much through the end of the show's first season, there are plenty of reasons to assume that the DCU will still have more comic-accurate costumes in future projects. James Gunn has already shown a comic book-accurate battle armor that will be worn by Lex Luthor in Man of Tomorrow, which isn't something that has been seen before in live-action. Pierre is also slated to reprise his Lanterns role as John Stewart in that movie, which could bode well for fans who want to see the actor in costume. The show has already established that Stewart has more respect for the costume than Hal does, so this would make a lot of sense.
James Gunn's rebooted DC Universe is still very much in its early stages, so it's hard to get a good feel for the overall vision of the co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios. Last year's Superman clearly signaled an era with more faithful costumes than the previous Snyderverse, but Supergirl and Lanterns have both shied away from their use. All of this could simply mean that DC's future movies and shows will pick and choose where it makes sense. That's not a bad philosophy, but the lack of consistency is a little jarring this early on.
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