Television

Superhero Shows

Lanterns Episode 2 Contains A Small Link To The DC Universe's Batman

By Joe Roberts

Aug. 23, 2026 11:00 pm EST

HBO

"Lanterns," the latest installment in James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe, is a full-on mystery series. Taking its cues from "True Detective" and "Slow Horses," the show puts John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and his mentor Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) in a middle-American small town to solve the mystery of why aliens have seemingly descended on the otherwise sleepy hamlet. But that's not the only mystery in the show, as evidenced by the twist at the end of "Lanterns" Episode 1 wherein we flash forward to 2026 as Stewart finds the dead body of his mentor. Now, the show has given us a new mystery by revealing that Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) hails from a little place called Gotham City. That would be significant enough, but when you pair this revelation with an almost imperceptible line from "Lanterns" Episode 1, it becomes a pretty big deal.

Episode 2 sees Stewart and Jordan continue their investigation into Rushville, Nebraska, where it seems aliens are amassing to hunt down a long dormant Manhunter. As revealed by a trailer prior to the show's debut, Manhunters are the villains of "Lanterns." But before we see just how dangerous these synthetic shape-shifting beings actually are, the show is dropping subtle hints about Sheriff Kane being far more important than she seems.

In Episode 2, Jordan wakes up in an eerily abandoned hospital after being shot, and is escorted out by the sheriff. On the way, Jordan asks where she's from. "You don't exactly scream 'Rushville,'" he says, to which Kane replies, "I'm from Gotham. Moved here on a whim." We've yet to see much of Gotham in the DC Universe, and Sheriff Kane is the most significant link to it yet.

Sheriff Kane's Gotham heritage ties back to a line in Lanterns Episode 1

John Johnson/HBO Max

"Lanterns" has clarified the DC Universe timeline somewhat, but we're going to need more clarification on Sheriff Kerry Kane's background. After she reveals she's from Gotham City, Hal Jordan says, "Well, that sounds like a story." But Kane remains tight-lipped. "Doesn't it," she replies, prompting Jordan to ask, "That's all I'm gonna get? I'll take it for now." The "for now" is significant, as it suggests we might soon discover more about Kane's background and the DC Universe's Gotham.

But attentive viewers may be wondering if we've already learned more about Kane's Gotham connection. The "Lanterns" premiere sees John Stewart visit the sheriff in her office as she wraps up a phone call. After saying she can't comment on an active investigation, she says, "Tell Barb I said hey." Considering she began the conversation by saying "No comment means no comment," it seemed likely she was merely talking to a local reporter. But Batman fans will surely be intrigued by the name "Barb," as it could be a reference to Barbara Gordon, daughter of Gotham Police Commissioner James Gordon and one-time Batgirl. Now that we know Kane does in fact hail from Gotham, the possibility of her having some connection to Gordon and his family just got a lot more likely.

You can push this further. The surname Kane seems significant, and not only because she doesn't have her husband, Billy Macon's (Jason Ritter), last name. Kane calls to mind Batman creator Bob Kane and is also the surname of Kate Kane, aka Batwoman from the comics. Of course, Kane could also be a reference to artist Gil Kane, who designed the Silver Age version of Green Lantern. But the Batman connections are there if you look.

Sheriff Kerry Kane's Gotham roots are surely more significant than they seem

John Johnson/HBO Max

Even if the Barbara Gordon connection turns out not to be real, the fact that Kane is from Gotham is a more major development than it seems. So far, we've had a glimpse of the DCU's Batman in the most unexpected place: a brief shot in the animated series "Creature Commandos." Otherwise, James Gunn has been busy building his new shared universe with Season 2 of "Peacemaker" (which featured references to Gotham), his charming crowd-pleaser "Superman," and the box office disappointment that was "Supergirl." Meanwhile, Matt Reeves is hard at work on "The Batman: Part II," which takes place in a separate timeline, effectively as an "Elseworlds" story. All of which is to say that Batman and Gotham haven't really figured into Gunn's DCU thus far.

The Dark Knight is set to appear in the upcoming "The Brave and the Bold" movie, which still has no release date. Otherwise, our first real excursion to the DCU's Gotham will come with the pure body horror movie "Clayface," which debuts on October 23, 2026. But Sheriff Kane hailing from Batman's hometown is noteworthy. Why have the writers given her this backstory? She certainly doesn't seem all that thrilled by her supposed marriage to Billy Macon. Perhaps she will end up returning to Gotham and taking us with her?

Whatever the case, this revelation feels like more than an Easter egg, and could mean Kane has something to do with Batman's eventual debut in the DC Universe. For now, it remains one of many mysteries on "Lanterns," but we're hopeful there more will be revealed as Season 1 goes on.

New episodes of "Lanterns" arrive Sunday nights on HBO Max.