10 Shows Like 'Lanterns' You Should Watch Next

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Credit: Lanterns, HBO Max

This is Streamalikes, where you can find a curated list of recommendations to stream based on what you already like.

Table of Contents

Under James Gunn's tenure, the DC Universe has promised us variety, and in that spirit, we're soon getting Lanterns, a show that stars Kyle Chandler as veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as new recruit John Stewart fighting evil...in Nebraska. The two superheroes find themselves investigating a murder in a tiny town, a far cry from the typical intergalactic adventures of the Green Lantern Corps, space cops who can create just about anything with their fancy-schmancy rings. (Though it's not without precedent, as the 1970s comics saw Hal team up with Green Arrow to travel the country and see how we live here on the ground.)

It's obviously early days for the new HBO Max series, and it is as yet unclear whether it will be viewed as a clever genre twist or a too-constrained waste of potential. Either way, Lanterns won't be the first show to push the boundaries of the sci-fi and superhero genres. Here are 10 others that have arguably pulled it off.

Watchmen (2019)

A standalone sequel to the groundbreaking Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins graphic novel from the '80s, this series plays in the sandbox of that book (arguably the wellspring of all modern superhero deconstruction), with a little help from Lanterns co-creator Damon Lindelof. In an alternate Tulsa, Oklahoma, in a world where super-powered vigilantes exist and have been outlawed, the series starts with a depiction of the real-life massacre and destruction of Tulsa's Black Wall Street by white residents in 1921. Regina King plays Angela Abar, a modern cop whose grandparents were killed during those attacks, events that echo throughout the series, which focuses on the fallout from the plot of the original comic and the conspiracies that grew out of it. Like Lanterns, this show's focus is on life on the ground in a world where gods fly above. Stream Watchmen on HBO Max or buy episodes from Prime Video.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series (2011 – 2013)

Almost certainly the best adaptation of Green Lantern to date, this show, from some of the people behind Batman: The Animated Series, doesn't take a grounded approach in the least, instead going in quite the opposite direction. Instead, it mines decades of comics' lore to send GL and company into deep space for some of the biggest adventures imaginable. Hal Jordan (Josh Keaton) is one of the finest Lanterns in the Corps, but his reputation for recklessness has led his superiors to distrust him. When he learns that rage-fueled Red Lanterns are murdering his compatriots in deep space, he defies orders and steals a prototype ship to help. Things get complicated on the frontier, as the show balances individual adventures with a longer storyline about the nature of the Red Lanterns, and whether their green counterparts are entirely the good guys. Buy Green Lantern: The Animated Series from Prime Video.

The Penguin (2024)

There's nothing new about going grim-and-gritty with stories set in Gotham City, so this is perhaps slightly less of a departure than Lanterns—still, a prestige crime drama in a superhero world was new-ish territory way back in 2024. A spin-off of the latest Batman movie (the Robert Pattinson one), the show stars Colin Farrell as the up-and-coming mobster of the title. In the wake of the killing of boss Carmine Falcone. the Penguin and the absolutely unhinged Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti, who won an Emmy for the role) are vying for control of the underworld. After decades of live-action Batman tales, it's kind of refreshing to see what's going on in Gotham City when the Caped Crusader has his back turned. Stream The Penguin on HBO Max.

Superman & Lois (2021 – 2024)

It's saying quite a bit to suggest that Elizabeth Tulloch and Tyler Hoechlin are among the finest live-action Lois and Clark pairings ever, but here we are. Skipping over the will-they/won't-they of earlier takes, the show jumps ahead to find the two married and with two teenage children, Jonathan and Jordan. The couple has just moved back to Smallville to give the kids a semblance of a normal life. Good luck with that! The show balances small-town drama with big superhero stakes, never more so than in the later seasons, when community-minded crime boss Bruno Mannheim (Chad L. Coleman) uses a Bizarro-style clone to put Superman out of his way while their wives both battle cancer. Stream Superman & Lois on HBO Max.

Doom Patrol (2019 – 2023)

Here's an uncharacteristically bold and indescribably freaky entry in the superhero canon, including characters like the non-binary Danny the Street (a literal street), paranormal investigators the Sex Men, Imaginary Jesus, and orgasm-generating bodybuilder Flex Mentallo. All the weirdness is grounded in excellent, frequently emotional character work from the entire cast, including Brendan Fraser, Matt Bomer, April Bowlby, Diane Guerrero, Joivan Wade, Michelle Gomez, and Timothy Dalton. It’s queer and sex-positive, making it a standout among the usually chaste, straight world of superheroes on TV. Stream Doom Patrol on HBO Max.

Batman: Caped Crusader (2024 – )

There's a lot of Batman out there, but this one's got real style, harkening back to Batman: The Animated Series from the 1990s (no surprise, given that Bruce Timm developed this one too). With a 1940s-esque setting, the show dodges some of the more outlandish superhero tropes to focus on a Gotham City rife with crime, corrupt cops, and gang warfare. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, exactly, but it's a strong enough reimagining that it feels fresh, particularly given that every other superhero show seems to require a deep investment in crossovers and spin-offs. Stream Batman: Caped Crusader Prime Video.

Creature Commandos (2024 – )

This animated show sees Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, reprising the role from the live-action DC movies) assembling a black-ops team to protect a foreign nation from the Amazonian sorceress Circe. Waller can't be trusted with actual humans, so her team is made up entirely of literal monsters: The Bride (Indira Varma), Doctor Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), Eric Frankenstein (David Harbour), and aquatic mutant Nina Mazursky (Zoë Chao), alongside Nazi-obsessed G.I. Robot and the rodent-like Weasel (both Sean Gunn). Extremely violent and with a dark sense of humor, this show from James Gunn and company also brings an impressive amount of heart to the mix. Plus, it's set in the same relatively young universe as Lanterns, so you won't be behind on your homework. Stream Creature Commandos on HBO Max.

Echo (2024)

Alaqua Cox returns to her Hawkeye role of Maya Lopez, a deaf assassin who once worked for Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk. She's now on the run from the mob boss, returning to her hometown in Oklahoma to come to terms with her past and to reconnect with her family and roots in the Choctaw Nation. The personal stakes mark a welcome shift toward the personal and away from the multiversal scale of the most recent Marvel—even as the show's scope encompasses centuries of Choctaw history. Stream Echo on Disney+.

Andor (2022 – 2025)

They might be galaxies apart, but if you're looking for a grounded show born from a sci-fi premise, look no further than Andor. Just when I felt like I was done with Star Wars, along came this prequel series, the morally complex story of thief-turned-rebel spy Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) being radicalized and setting out on the road to becoming the heart and soul of the Rebellion. We witness the slow march of the Empire, as citizens of the galaxy become acclimated to rising fascism, and delve into the conflicts between various rebel factions: Genevieve O'Reilly's Mon Mothma fights from within the Galactic Senate, while Stellan Skarsgård's Luthen Rael, Andor's handler, favors dark deeds done under cover of darkness. Forest Whitaker's Saw Gerrera is content to burn the Galaxy down rather than allow it to become what he hates. The scope is grand, but the focus is very much on the people at the bottom of the ladder, and what they do or don't do in the face of tyranny. There's also a lot of dust. Stream Andor on Disney+.

True Detective (2014 – )

There's been a lot of talk about Lanterns being the DC universe's explicit answer to True Detective, so here we are. This crime anthology started out by taking us to Oklahoma, with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson investigating a murder that led to a broader mystery that bordered on the cosmic. The most recent season similarly sees veteran Chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) face their complicated pasts while searching for missing scientists at a research station in a remote Alaskan town. Stream True Detective on HBO Max.