It all started with a recent Hollywood Reporter piece claiming that Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds and Justin Timberlake (WTF) were up for the lead role in WB’s “The Green Lantern” (a script I’ve had for a while but preferred to satisfy the inner geek in me by reading the Geoff Johns saga in full, leading up to this summer’s “Blackest Night” event).
Of those three, with a gun to my head, I’d prefer Bradley Cooper, which was tossed into the mix by a Drew McWeeny report a few weeks back. I love Timberlake and actually think he’s a fine actor, but I don’t buy him as a cock-sure-test-pilot-turned-intergalactic-police-officer, do you?
But according to this Michael Fleming scoop at Variety’s new industry blog BF Deal Memo, the news strangely being dumped at the end of the week and the start of the weekend, it seems Warner Bros. is going with Ryan Reynolds. Ugh.
I love Ryan Reynolds. Like, we’re talking man-crush. I think he’s charasmatic, funny, a wonderful choice for the Marvel character Deadpool (even though that character was raped and pillaged in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”), an actual reason to purchase “Blade: Trinity,” etc. But I think he’s dead wrong for this part.
Hal Jordan, in my narrow view of things, should be someone like one of the “Supernatural” guys (Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki) if you have to go the young buck route. This turn of events has me worried the character will be morphed into some smart-assy combination of Guy Gardner and, well, Deadpool.
Speaking of which, why would you cast an actor who is already set to be a marquee performer in a different comic franchise as your guy here? It doesn’t compute for me.
Anyway, I’ll try to go with the flow here. I don’t feel like Reynolds is outside-the-box enough, but I’m also glad he’s getting these kinds of opportunities. Martin Cambell is directing, which could be good, could be bad. I don’t know. I need to dig into that script already. That’s the key to this project, I think.
This is obviously one of the more geek-tas-tic posts in a while, but if you have an opinion, rattle off your thoughts on the casting choice in the comments section below.
Comments
23 responses to “Ryan Reynolds cast in ‘Green Lantern’”
Honestly, I’m digging it. After “Casino Royale”, I’m fairly inclined to trust Campbell with potentially weird casting, since I’ll readily admit to thinking Craig was going to suck before I saw it. Maybe I’m biased since GL’s my favorite superhero and I’m just excited the Jack Black thing from a few years back was horseshit.
this must be recent because earlier today it was still very much up in the air, so im not sure if I do believe this
That fan-made trailer that came out a couple of months ago made me excited at the prospect of having Nathan Fillion in the role. Alas, it seems he is destined to star in failure-to-be TV shows until his career sinks further into oblivion
Requiem: It’s confirmed, via Variety. Done deal. Believe it.
I’d love to read that script. I’ve read it’s really good from a few sites and that makes me excited. Good script with Martin Campbell is a wonderful thing. Shit script with Martin Campbell is obviously a terrible thing. Or a shit thing.
Here’s hoping for a well-written script, since I trust Martin Campbell after Daniel Craig’s Bond movies.
Also, Kris, you have a point here. Why cast someone who’s already involved in a franchise? I have no idea what they were thinking. If I would cast the Green Lantern, I’d go with Nathan Fillion too. He’s got the right combination of wit, suave, and superhero seriousness. Plus, there’s something about his features that make me feel that even when he’s playing a superhero, he could make the character more human.
Eunice, you do realize Campbell only directed Casino Royal and not QOS right?
I’m not particularly fond of the choice but his wife probably presuaded him to take on a superhero, just because she’s pitted against Iron Man.
Well I must say that I have read the screenplay, I read it on a whim and its the only screenplay I’ve ever read before watching the movie.
Its in the Spider-man vein, young teeny romance with some adventure. The character is supposed to be 27 but he acts quite immature, so maybe Reynolds will fit coz he always acts immature. But I’m not sure he can be a leading man. McGuire in Spider-man was different, he was supposed to be the this nice nerdy guy, but Reynolds seems a strange choice.
I would have preferred Michael Fassbender or Sam Worthington.
…Sam Worthington, Chris Hemsworth…
@Jonathan: Oops. Sorry! I just remembered that a few hours after posting. Eep. I’m ashamed now.
I don’t like it. Mostly because Reynolds is ALREADY another comic book character in a different franchise. It’s like casting Christian Bale as Batman and the Flash (a role that Reynolds also wanted a while back…) at the same time.
As it has been said here before, there are many new up and comers that would’ve been a better fit. Sam Worthington, Bradley Cooper, Chris Pine… those would be nice choices. My choice for the role? I’m still choosing whether I’d go with Jeremy Renner or Mark Wahlberg.
It’s my understanding Sam Worthington didn’t take this because he didn’t want three franchises, and now he’s down one (if there is ever another TERMINATOR movie it’ll be in awhile and almost certainly won’t involve Marcus Wright), I wonder how much he regrets that.
Ok, now I just remembered of Jon Hamm. I think I’d go with him.
Renner would have rocked. Not sure he would have taken it, though.
Not to knock Van Wilder’s talents but this seems like Warner Bros is getting some revenge for that whole watchmen lawsuit that Fox put them through last year by killing their Deadpool movie
Jon Hamm would have been perfect. He’d also make a good Clark Kent. Wait…I don’t like superhero movies.
I doubt “Avatar” will be a trilogy. Worthington said that Cameron worked too hard on it to direct another one and that he would like it to be a stand-alone film. “Terminator Salvation”, with McG directing, never had much of a chance, so taking on “Green Lantern” would have been a good idea considering Martin Campbell is a solid action director.
I get the feeling he has decided to jump ship.
This is going to be SO much better than Thor.
Hey Bob McBob, it would have been cool to see this superhero franchise bestowed to Michael Fassbender, but the snob in me believes that he’s beyond this stuffand I would rather his talents and time be used on more cerebral projects. But, it would have been fun for him and easy money. :)
With all that said, hey, maybe Fassbender could be a villain?
I get the funny feeling Reynolds told Fox “Deadpool has to break the fourth wall,” they balked at it because they’re Fox…and so he jumped ship, preferring not to be a part of the spinoff if they’re not going to do it properly. Just my hunch.
Well, he was already part of one film that raped the character outright, so I’m not so sure…