Who knew when I went to bed last night at 1:00 AM after wrapping up a round of Major Spoilers projects, that Harry Knowles and his Ain’t It Cool News, would set the Intardwebz aflame on Friday morning with possible news about Green Lantern casting.
AICN posted the rumor that Justin Timberlake has been suiting up in the green and black suit for some screen tests, and may be the favorite by Warner Bros. to play the emerald knight.
Before you get all worked up in a tizzy, Empire Online counters with news that Bradley Cooper and Ryan Reynolds are also vying for the role of the Green Lantern.
As much as I like Ryan Reynolds, we’ve already seen what happens when an actor jumps from one comic book property to another, so if he lands the role there will have to be a balancing act between Deadpool and Green Lantern. I also don’t have anything against Justin Timberlake, he’s a pretty good actor, especially as a deformed war vet in Southland Tales.
Instead of everyone getting all worked up over just one actor playing Green Lantern, let me throw this one into the blender – what if all three of them were being eyed for Green Lantern? How interesting would it be to see everyone who’s been rumored to be up for GL (including Nathan Fillion) appear here and there as part of the Green Lantern Corps as Warner Bros. moves ahead with two additional sequels? Remember, Warner Bros. and DC did hole up for several days last year to figure out what they could do with their properties as the movie studio and comic book company try to develop a cohesive movie universe.
I now turn it over to you, the Major Spoilerite Elite* to talk this rumor out.
via Ain’t It Cool News and Empire Online
*The Major Spoiler Elite are a corps group of fans who visit the site on Friday when mostly nothing is happen.
22 Comments
Bring it on down to Lantern TOOOOWWWWWN!
I agree about Ryan Reynolds. I did not see Wolverine, so I can’t judge him as Deadpool, but I thought he was the highlight of Blade Trinity (which I enjoyed because of the Nightstalkers) and would have made a great Wally West. He has some good acting chops, imho.
The nature of the Corps really sets up for multiple Green Lanterns well, so I think that the idea of more than one actor would be a nice set up (buddy cop movie). I think that as imnportant as the actor(s) playing GL is, the more important casting call may be the VILLIAN.
I’d like to see Alan Cumming as Sinestro. Red Skin, black hair, pointy ears and eye brows, crazed lunatic smile! Anyone? Beuler?
That would be interesting if they used all 4 of them as the corp. They could always have Timberlake play Kilowag… then we wouldn’t have to look at him.
I know Scott Porter auditioned and got a callback back in April. Honestly, I’m still hoping he lands the role.
(You hear me, Warners?)
“IF” they all get in on the GLC goodness, I can see JT as Kyle…
I don’t CARE how supposedly-good an actor Timberlake is, he’s STILL Timberlake, and he STILL doesn’t belong anywhere near a Superhero costume outside of Jimmy Olsen’s.
When will Warner realize stunt-casting isn’t needed? Do they even remember “Catwoman”? Get good actors that actually look like the characters and have TALENT, scatter a couple names around the cast (like whoever they get for Sinestro, HUGO WEAVING), and whammo you’ve got a film.
Ryan Reynolds would work as Guy Gardner, but outside of that not interested. Focus on Deadpool, Reynolds…
And the other guy might be good for Gardner as well, if only because the only parts I’ve seen him play are crazy, wild-eyed characters.
I’m not saying Nathan Fillion HAS to be Hal Jordan, but out of the names mentioned he’s still a billion times a more suitable candidate.
There is no God.
I may take some heat for this, but wouldn’t this be a great chance to make John Stewart the main character and get a little more diversity into the Superhero movie genre? You could still have Hal in it but make the movie about John Stewart. I dunno… just a thought.
Of those three you mentioned, I’d pick Cooper though.
Of the thre above the only one I would go see is Ryan Reynolds, you’d have to pay me good money to go see JT…
Jensen Ackles (Dean in Supernatural), Nathan Fillion or Michael Weatherly (DiNozzo in NCIS) would make good Hal Jordans.
Martin Campbell has a good track record with casting IMHO, so he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Timberlake can certainly act.
my guess would be Nathan Fillion
My top 3 (in no particular order):
Chris Pine
Nathan Fillion
Michael Weatherly
Here’s a twist… what if Timberlake is playing Kyle Rayner? In my mind, that would be a near- perfect fit.
OOps, Websnap beat me to it! Just been that kind of day.
Kyle? He looks more like Tomar-Re to me…
HAH!
I think they all have the chops to pull it off but I would perfer Ryan Reynolds…..everybody is talking about deadpool like it’s already filming…….as I recall Superman 2 was suposed to be out next year…..and what about that Wonder Woman movie.
Now granted Deadpool being marvel it will probably get made, but heck i would take a Green Lantern Movie with one of those 3 over nothing.
Timberland has depth, and if you don’t belive so i would encourage you to watch some of his movies, but if he is GL I would perfer him to be Kyle
…AND I could really see Reynolds as Sinestro…..he could be a good villian
…AAANNDD any of them is a lot better than Jack Black
OK…I know a lot of you are being optimists about this casting, and I appreciate that. However, they’re NOT casting for Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner, or John Stewart. As far as anyone knows, they’re only casting for HAL JORDAN as the lead. If we’re going to cram an origin story, the premise of Oa and the Guardians, plus LEGION, Sinestro, and whoever else, does it make much sense for a first movie to have three or four Earthmen, all trying to be made special and important to the big picture? No.
It’s going to be Hal Jordan surrounded by aliens. I’m not saying they WON’T try to cram the others in there, but from every single thing I’ve read since the movie’s announcement, it’s Hal’s story. They are casting for Hal.
So on that note, no, I will not accept Justin Timberlake as the lead. Never. I don’t care what supposed “depth” Jacko Jr. may have; he looks perpetually 16 and no amount of peach-fuzz will change that. He has a high-pitched voice with a hint of wannabe gangsta, and I’m SURE that screams square-jawed, man’s man Hal Jordan to everyone out there. Green Lantern has been the only book from DC I buy regularly, the only character of theirs I support as much or more than my usual Marvel-laden favorites. Warner Bros. doesn’t have a good enough track-record with their movies for me to even give them a chance when they pull this move, if that’s who they go with, so I’d much rather pretend it’s not even happening and continue to read the book than pay money to see Warner Bros. trash an icon.
Two good “Batman” flicks doesn’t wash the stink away from “Superman Returns”, “Catwoman”, or the previous two “Batman” sequels. They have a LOOOOOOONG way to go.
*flashing my “Elite” membership card* Yeah… “Hal Jordan” looks like a cop: square build, fairly muscled-up without being jacked on juice (compared to, say Supes, or John Henry Irons). J-Tizzy? Does not look like a cop. At all. He has (appropriately enough for his chosen career path) something resembling a dancer’s build. That would work for, say, Quicksilver (I know that’s a different U.) or somebody else “wiry” (see: Spider-Man), but Hal’s essentially a beat cop. He’s gotta look like he can beat people up when necessary. Unless Justin is _seriously_ devoted to his craft and bulks up accordingly, the performance kinda falls flat on that level alone — let alone the back-issues many of us will have with him. And, like, I dunno, but… Is it just me, or does the image of J.T. flying around via CGI seem very much Peter Pan-like? Wiry, boyish dude flying around in green, making things happen via the power of belief and imagination? Yet another reason to cast somebody NOT-Timberlake. :)
(P.S. “Core” group of fans, unless you were — as I suspect — being punny… Corps/GL? :D)
Obligatory fan hate: John Stewart is only popular b/c he’s the black green lantern. I find his character to be rather boring, but people keep shoving him in my face for “diversity’s sake.” Give me a good character first, diversity second.
Don’t mess with my Lanterns. I’m hard corp.
…and according to Variety, the role of Green Lantern goes to ….
http://weblogs.variety.com/bfdealmemo/2009/07/ryan-reynolds-is-the-green-lantern.html?nid=2854