Season 2 of Lanterns is not guaranteed, but a decision will be made this year

The second season of Lanterns is not guaranteed, but DC chief Peter Safran says they will decide by the end of the year whether it moves forward.

A second Lanterns season isn't guaranteed, but DC president Peter Safran says a decision on whether to move forward will be made by the end of 2026.

Speaking to IGN, Safran confirmed that there is currently a writer's room hashing out ideas for the future of the Lanterns, but it all depends on whether or not they come up with a good enough story to make it worth following the first season. He noted that television is an important part of DC's future, but they're waiting to see if there's a story worth telling before giving the green light to Lantern Season 2.

"The episodic world is always going to be an important part of our overall slate, it's a great way to tell stories that require more real estate than what a feature film can give you, and it's a great way to introduce characters that we bring into the film world later," Safran says. "And I think Aaron Pierre and Jon Stewart are a perfect example of that. We introduced him in Lanterns, and audiences will see him next summer in Man of Tomorrow. So, it's very important for us to continue to tell aspects of the story that we don't tell in the film world, so there's more to come."

"Listen, we'll see what happens in the second season of ``Lanterns.''

Safran confirmed to Collider that he will make a decision on whether or not a second season of Lanterns will go forward by the end of the year.

As Safran pointed out, if Season 2 doesn't go ahead, Jon Stewart or the Lantern Corps won't suddenly stop in the DCU. Jon Stewart's appearance in Man of Tomorrow, James Gunn's Superman sequel, has already been confirmed. Fans are also hoping that Hal Jordan will return, but... well, we'll just have to see what happens at this point.

Lanterns Season 1 certainly leaves the door open for more storylines surrounding Stewart and possibly Jordan if the show's writers and cast play their cards right. The series is also one of HBO's most successful series of the year, so it's hard to imagine that the powers that be aren't hungry for another season of the show.

Lanterns succeeds due to its two charming leads, mature tone and compelling mystery. The film successfully used the True Detective style while also feeling very saturated in the comic book genre. Just two months before Lanterns premiered, Supergirl bombed at the box office, and some fans feared the DCU was already in trouble. The success of Lanterns seems to disprove this idea.

Whether or not the show will return remains to be seen, but you can expect fans to get their claws ready if DC and Warner Bros. don't give it the green light.

Cade Onder is a freelancer for the IGN news team. He covers all things entertainment, including games, movies and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.