2013’s ‘Man of Steel’ reintroduced movie audiences to Superman (played by Henry Cavill). Fittingly, Warner Brothers is building a cinematic universe on that feature and the second brick is next year’s ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’ which will not only feature the two title characters, but Wonder Woman and in some capacity The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. But there’s one major name that’s been missing from all this discussion: Green Lantern.
John Stewart‘Green Lantern’ of course got the live action treatment in 2011, with Ryan Reynolds playing the title hero. WB cast Angela Bassett as Amanda Waller, hoping to make this character their answer to Samuel L. Jackson‘s Nick Fury over at Marvel. The plan was to have Waller pop up in a series of movies starring the DC heroes solo before they united in a ‘Justice League’ film. But when ‘GL’ tanked, WB shuffled plans and disavowed that film, placing their bets on a new Superman.
So where does that leave Green Lantern? 2011 was only four years ago. Realizing that not enough time has lapsed to allow the bitter taste of that dud to fully fade, WB has decided to hold off on a new ‘GL’ until 2020. That sounds like a long time from now, but it’s less than five years away. Nearly a decade will have passed since the first debacle, which should be enough time.
Can WB do more to distance themselves from the first film? Of course! As fans know, there is more than one Green Lantern; there are over a hundred, drawn from all over the universe and there are five just from Earth! And it sounds as if we’ll be getting to see at least two of them on the big screen, if not more.
Hal JordanAll the Green Lanterns are equipped with a Power Ring that channels their willpower into energy constructs, limited only by the wearer’s willpower. Their only weakness is the yellow energy of fear.
Reynolds portrayed Hal Jordan, the first Earth GL, a brash test pilot, selected because of his lack of fear. It was Jordan that formed the Justice League with Aquaman, The Flash, Wonder Woman and the Martian Manhunter.
John Stewart, a former Marine, acted as Jordan’s alternate, when the pilot was incapacitated, before becoming a full-time GL himself. Unlike the more laid back Jordan, Stewart is heavily influenced by his rigid military background.
Guy Gardner also became a Green Lantern in the 80s and like movie heroes of the era was envisioned as a hard-nose badass, but typically came across as a jerky blowhard. This GL frequently served as a foil for the dour Batman.
There are two additional GLs from Earth, artist Kyle Rayner, who served as the only Green Lantern for most of the 90s and the recently introduced Simon Baz a Lebanese American of the Muslim faith.
Which Green Lantern would you most like to see on screen as part of the DCCU? What if you didn’t have to choose?
Guy GardnerWord has it, the new ‘Green Lantern’ film will not have one leading character, but at least two, if not three. Sorry Kyle and Simon fans, but the three names being considered are Hal and John, with Guy also a possibility. As of right now, Warner Brothers seems adamant that the focus of this film not rest on one character– perhaps as an escape plan in case audiences take a shine to one and not another?
One interesting note is that ‘Green Lantern’ (or ‘Green Lantern Corps’ which is more what it sounds like) is slated for 2020. This is after ‘Justice League Part One’ in 2017 and ‘Justice League Part Two’ in 2019. Is it possible that we’ll see a GL-free League?
Keep in mind, that most of the League are at least making a cameo in ‘Batman V Superman’ before spinning off into their own solo outings and the ‘JL’ team-ups. It’s entirely possible that Hal, John and/or Guy could materialize on the big screen in small roles before graduating to their own film.
What do you think of a ‘Green Lantern Corps’ movie? Would you prefer a single lead character or are you happy with a duo or trio? Which GL is your favorite? Any casting choices? Sound off below!
Source: Collider