No one is more thankful for the Deadpool movie franchise than Ryan Reynolds, whose first couple ventures into comic book movies were epic failures in every measurable way. While his original appearance as Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine was an absolute disgrace to the character, it may not have even been his worst foray into the realm of superheroes and villains. After all, Martin Campbell’s 2011 Green Lantern is often regarded as one of the worst comic book movies of all time, a competition that has plenty of strong contenders. Through no fault of his own, the movie came across as cheesy and flat, or as Kelly Jane Torrance put it for the Washington Examiner: “the film flits away whenever it comes close to addressing the themes for which many read the genre: honor, responsibility, motivation, and the hardest battle of all, making the right, crucial choice.”
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It’s certainly not that a Green Lantern-led film can’t succeed. After all, he’s one of the most recognizable heroes in all of DC Comics. The character simply needs a new direction, and perhaps a new identity, as Hal Jordan might just be a little too vanilla for today’s comic book movie atmosphere. This is why the DCU should reboot the Green Lantern, this time focusing on John Stewart to hold the mantle instead.
John Stewart’s Green Lantern Origin
DC Comics
John Stewart grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where he regularly had to deal with both poverty and clashes with law enforcement. Inspired by his mother, who was a servant of the community by career, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps out of high school, as a means to help people in his own way as well as pay for his college education. After a tour in the Middle East, during which he established himself as an elite sniper and rose the ranks to sergeant, he was deployed to Gotham City to aid with rescue efforts during a massive storm. There, he battled with the villain known as Anarky, who was using the storm as an opportunity to wreak havoc on a city already in deep unrest.
During this period, John clashed with his commanding officer, Lieutenant Tasker, who wasn’t afraid of civilian casualties if it meant accomplishing his goals. As such, the two regularly butted heads before coming to blows with one another. Due to John disobeying his direct superior, along with his heroic actions in Gotham, he was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps after a court-martial.
Following his stint in the military, John went to California to study architecture, where, unbeknownst to him, he was under surveillance from the Guardians of the Universe who saw promise in him as a potential future member. When he was hired out of college to work on a project at Ferris Air, the Guardians sent a Manhunter to test John’s bravery and integrity, and he proved himself greatly and was granted a Green Lantern ring for his actions. He shortly became Hal Jordan’s primary backup as Earth’s lantern, before taking the role over full-time after Jordan quit the Lantern Corps, according to Yahoo.
Possible DCU Plot Lines
John has an origin story made for the big screen. From his humble beginnings to his heroism with the United States military to his journey to becoming Sector 2814’s full-time Green Lantern, his beginnings would make for a wonderful live-action introduction film. Between Anarky, the Manhunter, and his early rivalry with Hal Jordan, there should be plenty of action to keep audiences engaged and wanting more. Ryan Reynolds could even reprise his role as an opportunity to redeem himself as a Green Lantern under better direction and with a script that more honors the source material.
Of course, viewers may want to see John in action as a Green Lantern more in his first film — certainly a fair ask. With that route, the writers may want to invoke the plot line of Green Lantern Vol 2 #182. In this story, Hal has fully relieved himself of his duties as a Green Lantern, leaving John as the main guardian of Sector 2814 to take on Major Disaster — an old nemesis of Hal, who possesses the ability to manipulate natural disasters ranging from major weather events to even accidents caused by human error.
This course would also allow a more seasoned Reynolds to pass down the mantle to John Stewart shedding the stink from his first appearance as Hal Jordan, while also helping the DCU introduce a new character. Throughout the course of the movie, viewers can see Hal and John’s relationship grow from star and understudy to partners to mentor and eventual replacement.
Additionally, Major Disaster has plenty of potential as a villain, one who poses a threat worthy of the powers of a Green Lantern and leaves lots of opportunity for spectacular visual effects with his abilities.
Green Lantern Reboot Fan Casting
Hulu
Reynolds would be the natural choice for Hal Jordan for all the reasons listed earlier. If he’s unable to reprise the role, either out of preference or due to his contract with 20th Century Studios to be Deadpool, then there are a few other top-notch options available. Someone like Justin Chambers — most known for his role as Alex Karev in Grey’s Anatomy — could bring a weathered, snarky, and retirement-ready Hal Jordan to life. Plus, Chambers already has a little experience with DC roles, as he voiced Barry Allen (The Flash) in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox.
As for Major Disaster, a larger-than-life crook turned super villain turned eventual antihero, the film would need an actor who can stand up to his stature, convincingly play a serious threat to mankind, while leaving enough heart and potential for a possible future heel turn to the good guys. Gerard Butler and Pablo Schreiber both fit this description well and would make for some entertaining antagonists — particularly Butler who’s been known for some cartoonish overacting in his later career.
Lastly, John Stewart’s debut as the Green Lantern will need a strong leading man to take on the task of becoming the first black protagonist to have his own solo film in the DCU. It’s a shame that they used Aldis Hodge for Hawkman in Black Adam, as he could have gone from voicing Stewart in Green Lantern: Beware My Power to playing the character in live-action. He would have been a perfect fit for the steely and stoic hero.
Trevante Rhodes — who played Black in Moonlight — would be an absolute hit as John Stewart. He has the build to play a superhero, evidenced by his portrayal as Mike Tyson in Mike, and has plenty of experience depicting an action star from his time Bird Box, The Predator, and 12 Strong. He’s just the type of actor who has the pedigree necessary to become the first Black leading man in the DCU.
