Brad Pitt’s racing drama F1 hauled in an impressive $633 million at the global box office, making it one of the biggest sports films in recent memory. But beyond the roar of engines and the star power on screen, fans of DC’s upcoming Lanterns series are paying close attention — because the two projects share something more than just a recognizable face.
The connection comes down to one specific dynamic: a seasoned veteran paired with a younger, less experienced partner who must learn to trust each other under extreme pressure. It’s a formula that worked spectacularly well in F1, and it’s precisely the dynamic that Lanterns appears to be building toward with its two lead characters.
With DC’s television universe still finding its footing under James Gunn’s creative direction, the success of that mentor-protégé pairing in F1 offers a useful blueprint — and a reason for optimism — about what Lanterns could deliver.
What F1 Actually Got Right About Two-Character Chemistry
F1 centers on a retired Formula One driver who is pulled back into the sport to mentor a younger teammate. The film doesn’t just use that setup as a backdrop — the entire emotional engine of the story runs on the tension, friction, and eventual mutual respect between those two characters.
That kind of relationship is notoriously difficult to get right on screen. Too much friction and the characters feel unlikable. Too little and there’s no story. F1 managed to thread that needle, which is a significant part of why it connected with audiences well beyond the motorsport fanbase.
The $633 million global gross reflects not just the spectacle of the racing sequences, but the fact that general audiences bought into the relationship at the center of the film. That’s the harder achievement — and the more instructive one for Lanterns.
The Lanterns Dynamic and Why It Mirrors F1 So Closely
Lanterns is the upcoming DC series centered on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two Green Lanterns with very different personalities, histories, and approaches to their shared responsibilities. Hal Jordan is the seasoned, instinct-driven veteran. John Stewart is more disciplined, more methodical — and far less willing to simply defer to someone else’s judgment.
That friction is the point. The show isn’t designed to be a straightforward superhero adventure where two heroes agree on everything and fight side by side. It’s built around the idea that these two characters will clash, challenge each other, and — ideally — make each other better over time.
That’s exactly what F1 dramatized on a racetrack. The older driver doesn’t just hand over wisdom. The younger driver doesn’t just absorb it gratefully. They push back, they compete, and the relationship evolves through conflict rather than cooperation.
Why This Formula Works — and Why It’s Hard to Pull Off
The mentor-protégé pairing is one of storytelling’s oldest structures, but it earns its longevity because it works. When executed well, it gives audiences two characters to root for simultaneously, creates built-in dramatic tension, and allows a story to explore themes of legacy, identity, and change without heavy-handed exposition.
What makes it difficult is balance. If one character dominates the screen, the other feels like a supporting player rather than a co-lead. If the tension resolves too quickly, the story loses momentum. F1 managed to keep that balance alive across its runtime, which is a meaningful achievement for a film of that scale.
Lanterns has the advantage of a longer format — a television series allows more time to develop the relationship gradually, to let disagreements breathe, and to pay off character growth in ways a two-hour film simply can’t. That’s a structural advantage the show can lean into.
| Project | Medium | Central Dynamic | Global Box Office / Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 (Brad Pitt) | Feature Film | Veteran driver / rookie teammate | $633 million worldwide |
| Lanterns (DC) | Television Series | Hal Jordan / John Stewart | HBO (upcoming) |
What Lanterns Needs to Borrow — and What It Should Avoid
The lesson from F1 isn’t to replicate the film’s plot. It’s to commit to the emotional core of the two-character dynamic rather than letting it get buried under spectacle or mythology-building.
One risk for Lanterns — and for DC projects in general — is the temptation to front-load world-building at the expense of character work. The Green Lantern mythology is expansive and complex, and it would be easy for the show to spend so much time establishing rings, sectors, and the Guardians of the Universe that Hal and John’s relationship gets sidelined.
F1 kept its focus tight. The racing world was immersive, but the film never lost sight of the two men at the center of it. Lanterns will need that same discipline.
The other lesson is patience. F1 didn’t rush the moment when its two leads finally found common ground. It let the audience sit with the discomfort of their conflict long enough that the payoff felt earned. A television format makes that patience easier to sustain — but only if the writers trust the audience to stay with the characters through the friction.
What This Means for DC’s Broader Ambitions
Lanterns is widely understood to be one of the cornerstone projects in DC’s rebooted universe under James Gunn. How it handles its central relationship will likely set a tone for the kind of storytelling DC wants to be known for going forward.
A show built on genuine character tension — the kind that F1 demonstrated can attract audiences well beyond the core fanbase — would signal that DC’s television ambitions are serious. A show that prioritizes mythology over character would be a missed opportunity, regardless of how impressive the visual effects are.
The F1 comparison isn’t just a fun parallel. It’s a genuine indicator of what’s possible when a production commits fully to the dynamic between its two leads.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Brad Pitt’s F1 movie make at the box office?
F1 earned $633 million globally, making it one of the most successful sports films in recent years.
Who are the two lead characters in Lanterns?
The DC series centers on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two Green Lanterns with contrasting personalities and approaches.
What is the connection between F1 and Lanterns?
Both projects are built around a mentor-protégé dynamic between a seasoned veteran and a younger, more disciplined partner — a pairing that drives the central conflict and character development in each story.
Where will Lanterns air?
Based on available reporting, Lanterns is set up as an HBO series, though specific premiere dates have not been confirmed in
Is James Gunn involved with Lanterns?
Yes, Lanterns is part of the rebooted DC universe being developed under James Gunn’s creative leadership.
Why does the mentor-protégé dynamic matter so much for Lanterns?
The Hal Jordan and John Stewart relationship is the emotional foundation of the show — if that dynamic doesn’t work on screen, no amount of mythology or spectacle can compensate for it.
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