Nexus Point News has learned the full writing staff behind a potential second season of HBO’s hit series Lanterns. Christopher Cantwell, Nakkiah Lui, Zack Whedon, Selwyn Seyfu Hinds, and Vanessa Baden Kelly make up the Season 2 writers room, working under showrunner Chris Mundy.
The writers’ room comes together as Lanterns Season 1 heads into its finale on Sunday, October 4. HBO has not officially renewed the series, but the lineup signals that DC Studios and HBO are confident in building toward more Lanterns stories well before any formal greenlight.
The staff blends a returning Season 1 voice, a reunion of Halt and Catch Fire collaborators, and two writers with prior DC and HBO ties.
Christopher Cantwell
The co-creator of AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire and an executive producer on Prime Video’s Paper Girls, Cantwell joined Lanterns as a writer and executive producer in May. He is also a prolific comics writer, with an Eisner-nominated run on Marvel’s Doctor Doom and DC credits including Challengers of the Unknown and Plastic Man No More!.
Nakkiah Lui
An AACTA and Logie nominated Australian writer, actor, and director, Lui co-created and starred in ABC’s Kiki & Kitty and Preppers and was a writer and performer on Black Comedy. She has also written for Total Control and was a writer and consulting producer on Hulu’s The Great.
Zack Whedon
Whedon reunites with Cantwell after serving as a writer and producer across all four seasons of Halt and Catch Fire. His TV credits also include Fringe, Deadwood, Southland, Rubicon, and HBO’s In Treatment, and he co-wrote Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. On the comics side, he has written Serenity books for Dark Horse.
Selwyn Seyfu Hinds
The former editor-in-chief of The Source, Hinds created and ran Hulu’s Washing Black, starring Sterling K. Brown. He was a writer and producer on Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone, and he has DC history: he was a consulting producer on HBO Max’s DC anthology Strange Adventures and co-created the Vertigo series Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child.
Vanessa Baden Kelly
The only Season 1 writer on the new staff besides Mundy, Baden Kelly is a co-executive producer who wrote “Trust Fall” and “OutKast,” the John Stewart origin episode that became one of the most debated hours of the season. “OutKast” was the most viewed episode of Lanterns with 10 million viewers as reported by HBO. Many fans also know her from Gullah Gullah Island and Kenan & Kel.
What’s Already Been Reported
Cantwell’s hire was the first sign of Season 2 movement. In May, Jeff Sneider reported that Cantwell had joined as a writer and executive producer, with Mundy expected to return as showrunner while co-creators Damon Lindelof and Tom King stepped back. Cantwell confirmed the news himself on his Bluesky account days later. Some outlets have since described him as a co-showrunner, though his own confirmation framed the role as writer and EP.
At the August Lanterns premiere, Lindelof told ScreenRant that Mundy had already started a new room to figure out what Season 2 stories could look like. Lindelof is not expected back, and King is focusing on DC Studios’ animated series Mister Miracle.
Most recently, a report by The Ankler said the room’s work so far is limited to pitch pages and that a renewal is not imminent, even as HBO executives hope to continue the show. Until now, the names of the writers filling out the room had not been reported.
Where Lanterns Season 2 Stands
Lanterns has not been officially renewed, and a staffed room does not guarantee a second season. The season 1 finale airs Sunday, October 4 on HBO and streams on HBO Max.
Lanterns stars Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre lead the series as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, with Pierre next set to appear in 2027’s Man of Tomorrow.
Nexus Point News has reached out to HBO and DC Studios for comment.
