Who Is The Manhunter In ‘Lanterns’? Here’s The Best Theory So Far

InnovationGamingWho Is The Manhunter In ‘Lanterns’? Here’s The Best Theory So FarByPaul Tassi,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. News and opinion about video games, television, movies and the internet.Follow AuthorAug 24, 2026, 09:19am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.LanternsPhotograph by John Johnson/HBO MaxLanterns aired its second episode last night, and now people are mostly past the realization that the show is actually good and are diving into its mysteries. Things are getting very interesting very quickly.In episode 2 of Lanterns, we learn that a Manhunter is hiding among the people of Rushville, Nebraska. Right away, I think it’s important to clear up something that may separate normal and harder-core DC fans (I am in the former camp and only learned this last night). Manhunters are not the same race as Martian Manhunter, the Justice League member who is also able to shapeshift. This is understandably a bit confusing, but these robots were based on those Manhunters from Mars. As the first attempt at forming a galactic police force, they eventually rebelled against the Guardians and are now the villainous race we see in Lanterns. Or at least that we hear about.The idea Lanterns presents is that a Manhunter is somewhere in town, and John Stewart is tasked with hunting them down by Antaan, who fans believe will become comic character Atrocitus, given that they have the same origin story (that’s a whole other thing).The problem is that there are really only four actual characters in Rushville, all members of the same family. Macon, his wife Zoe, his son Billy and of course, Billy’s wife Sheriff Kane. A guessing game with such a small pool of characters seems a bit strange.The new theory fans have concocted after this week, however, is that it’s not one of these four who is the Manhunter, but the entire town. A few points...