It is being reported that Ryan Reynolds has won the casting battle to play the part of Hal Jordan/Green Lantern in the planned big screen movie adaptation of the comic book hero. It was rumored that both Justin Timberlake and Bradley Cooper were up against Ryan for the role but it looks like Ryan won the role. This makes Reynolds the first actor to play a character from both Marvel Comics (he featured in the Blade series of films and played Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and DC Comics (Green Lantern is one DC‘s big superheroes):
Warner Bros. Pictures has hired X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Proposal star Ryan Reynolds to play the title role in the anticipated Green Lantern, scheduled for a June 17, 2011 release. Based on the DC Comics hero, the action-adventure will be directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, GoldenEye) and produced by Donald De Line and Greg Berlanti. Berlanti wrote the script with Marc Guggenheim and Michael Green. The Hollywood trades say that Reynolds and his camp entered negotiations for the part Friday, after the studio held two rounds of screen tests, along with actors Bradley Cooper and Jared Leto. Justin Timberlake also did a screen test. The studio had holding options on the actors, but, except for Reynolds, those expired Monday. Reynolds’ option would have expired end of day Friday. Production is expected to begin in January. The “Green Lantern” was created in 1940 by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell. Introduced in 1959, Hal Jordan is a second-generation test pilot, an ordinary man who was given the power ring and battery (lantern) by a dying alien named Abin Sur. When Abin Sur’s spaceship crashed on Earth, the alien used his ring to seek out an individual to take his place as Green Lantern: someone who was “utterly honest and born without fear.” Reynolds recently starred in Fox’s “Wolverine,” in which he played Wade Wilson/Deadpool. The character is now being developed for a spin-off to which Reynolds is attached. He also played Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity.
As much as I LOVE Ryan Reynolds, I was really pullin’ for Bradley Cooper to get the part. I can totally see Hal Jordan in Cooper … and I was really lookin’ forward to seeing Coop in those tight superhero spandex. Ah well, I guess I’ll just have to settle for Ryan Reynolds squeezin’ his goodies in those superhero spanx. Wait … why was I all upset for again?? On second thought, WOOT!! What do y’all think … is this good news or bad news?
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Personally, I think this is a bummer. I don’t know how well I like the idea of him playing so many different superheroes at once – I mean, don’t you think it takes away from the movie magic in a way? I would have definitely preferred Bradley Cooper here as well.
I think this is PERFECT casting. Nobody else could play The Green Lantern. Reynolds is the new Will Smith!
I just want to express my happiness that it wasn’t Justin Timberlake. I haven’t liked him in a movie since Model Behavior on the Disney Channel… and he was essentially playing himself then. And I was 15. Ok… 18.
I remember the cartoon in the 90′s and the green lantern was black. What gives?
@Matt — The original Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, was white. The next Green Lantern after Hal retired was John Stewart, he was black. He was then replaced with Kyle Rayner (back to white), whose best friend was gay. The movie will be based on the original Green Lantern.
i think its rad that he will be in both dc and marvel comics movies!
Trent like you I was also pulling for Cooper. I have to agree with Allison that by Ryan playing both Deadpool and Green Lantern it takes away from the movie magic. I would’ve preferred him only playing one superhero role.
i was pulling for Bradley Cooper. i love ryan but damn!
hoggin’ up all the cool comic roles, much?
Totally agree with Molly. Justin Timberlake should not be considered for any movie, but especially a super hero movie. Tell Justin to stick to his 90 minutes on SNL. I would have been happy with Ryan or Bradley.
I think Ryan was the better of the two. Bradley is to little boy and Ryan is all 100% beef cake!
Ryan… Bradley… both hot and fun actors. I would have been happy either way :)
matt- was that cartoon based on the 1970s green lantern named john stewart? i think this green lantern film is based on the 1950a green lantern (hal jordan). there have been many different green lanterns since he was first introduced in the 40′s….
This is excellent news…Ryan is a hottie! not ony is he funny but he a talented actor…Scarlett done good!
YUM-MY!
I myself was pullin for B.Coop. He is so so so so so so sexy,
And actress? Halle B. played both Storm (X-Men) from Marvel and Catwoman from DC!
@Geret — OMG, you are right! Halle did it first!
i lurve me some ryan reynolds…
I met the guy in Barcelona 2 year ago ! He was totally not nice and rude guy to his own fans. I was kinda sad to see that to my own eyes that sucha nice looking actor is sucha douche!
Actually, the Catwoman Halle played wasn’t the same Catwoman as in the comics. That movie really had nothing to do with Batman, the character’s alter ego just had the same name as the villainess from the comics. So I don’t think Halle really counts.
@Tracie — It does count, whether Batman was in it or not, DC Comics owns the Catwoman character and Marvel owns X-Men
I wonder how much of the DC storylines they’re going to incorporate into the film?
i’m so glad to hear Ryan got the part… WOOOOOOOOO!!! i think he’ll do an awesome job (like he did as DeadPool — can’t wait to see MORE of that!)