Posted in: HBO, Max, Movies, TV | Tagged: lanterns
Lanterns S01E03 Sneak Peek: Young John Stewart Learns His Destiny
In a new sneak peek at this weekend's episode of HBO's Lanterns, Young John Stewart learns his destiny - and why he loves birds so much.
Article Summary
- Lanterns S01E03 sneak peek reveals Young John Stewart beginning to understand his destiny and key childhood ties.
- Episode 3, "OutKast," digs deeper into John Stewart’s family and the mystery linking his parents to the Manhunters.
- James Gunn shared the new Lanterns preview, alongside the episode trailer and gallery for HBO’s Sunday night chapter.
- Lanterns Episode 2 also strengthened Sheriff Kerry Kane’s Gotham City connection, fueling bigger DCU Batman ties.
Earlier this week, we passed along the official image gallery for Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King's Lanterns S01E03: "OutKast," which made it clear that John Stewart's (Aaron Pierre) backstory would come into play in a very big way. Specifically, what the deal is between John's parents – J. Alphonse Nicholson's John Stewart Sr. and Jasmine Cephas Jones' Bernadette Stewart – and Laura Linney's Guardian involving the Manhunters. Now, we have a new sneak peek that was shared by DC Studios' James Gunn earlier today, with Young John Stewart (Cairo Cash Lee) beginning to learn about his destiny – and why he loves birds so much.

Lanterns Season 1 Episode 3: "OutKast" Preview
Lanterns Season 1 Episode 3: "OutKast" – Written by Vanessa Baden Kelly, here's a look at the sneak peek, image gallery, and episode trailer that were released:
This is his Destiny.
Watch #Lanterns this Sunday at 9pm on @hbomax. pic.twitter.com/BNRQM0f68b— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 28, 2026
- Image: HBO/DC Studios
- Image: HBO/DC Studios
- Image: HBO/DC Studios
- Image: HBO/DC Studios
- Image: HBO/DC Studios
S01E02 Confirms Character's Batman/Gotham City Connection
By the time the series premiere of HBO's Lanterns wrapped, a whole lot of folks were convinced that Rushville Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) had a serious connection to the DCU's Batman Universe via a backstory in Gotham City – and rightfully so. After Hal (Chandler) provokes a fight at a bar to get himself arrested so he can grab some jail time with the suspect/alien that Sheriff Kerry had in custody, John (Pierre) shows up at the station to bail him out. We see that Sheriff Kerry is on the phone with a police commissioner/law enforcement person, ending the call by saying, "Tell Barb I said, Hey." That became a red flag for a lot of fans, who are making the connection that the police commissioner was Gotham's James Gordon, and that "Barb" is a reference to his wife (some believe it's a Barbara Gordon/Batgirl reference, but there are timeline issues with that).

In addition, some noted that Sheriff Kerry's full, original name – "Kerry Kane" – meant that she came from a family with some serious roots in Gotham City. Along with the Waynes, the Kanes are one of Gotham's foundational families – and also one of the city's wealthiest and oldest families. Over in the comic book universe, we have a family connection between the Waynes and the Kanes via Bruce Wayne's mother, Martha Wayne (aka Kane), which would make Bruce Wayne and Batwoman (Kate Kane) first cousins. In S01E02: "Trust Fall," there's a moment between Hal and Sheriff Kerry where Hal says he doesn't believe she's from Rushville. After prodding her for more of her backstory, Sheriff Kerry admits that she was originally from Gotham City.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Macdonald shared how it felt to learn that her character appears to have deeper roots in the DCU than many – including Macdonald – first thought. "It was huge. It was very exciting," Macdonald shared. "It's like finding out you're a Disney princess or something. It's like, 'Oh my God! Gotham!' She's an outsider, as well, and she's been embraced by this small town." In fact, she looked to another series for help with her Gotham accent – something she may have perfected a little too well. "Within the first couple of months of the shoot, as well, I was watching 'The Penguin' at the same time," Macdonald added. "Sometimes I'd been over-watching 'The Penguin,' and I'd be going through my dialogue in my trailer, and I'd realize I was doing the whole Gotham thing. I'd be like, 'Turn it down a little bit,' 'cause I'd been told very specifically, 'She's from Gotham but don't do the accent thing.' She has to be more ambiguous than that. I'm sure you'll be able to tell the scenes where I've been watching 'The Penguin.'"


















