The Wrap is reported this week that 6 big names from Hollywood are in the early running for the role of Warner Bros and DC Entertainment’s next big superhero film series, Green Lantern, The names are reported to be Tom Cruise, Joel McHale, Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds, Armie Hammer, and Jake Gyllenhaal. The planned film is called ‘Green Lantern Corps’ and is due for a 2020 release. IGN reported that last week the potential film would have a “Lethal Weapon in Space”.
Tom Cruise is the most surprising considering, he’s been an established star who has never played a superhero before. He does get into butt-kicking in the ‘Mission Impossible’ and ‘Jack Reacher’ films. It would be interesting to see Cruise whose been in classic dramas like ‘the Firm’ and ‘A Few Good Men’ add something extra gusto to someone in outerspace in a costume. He’s been outer space before in the underrated Oblivion from 2011.
Ryan Reynolds played the Green Lantern in a 2011 film that was considered a disappointment, but insiders are saying his costumed hero stock is high after the unexpected hit in last year’s ‘Deadpool’. My Spidey sense says he stays over on the Marvel Cinematic Universe side with ‘Deadpool 2’ in the works and his public pleas to get Hugh Jackman to keep his claws out as Wolverine, read more on that here.
Joel McHale who charmed our collective hearts in NBC’s ‘Community’ and E’s ‘the Soup’ would be a choice from left field, as he’s not really known as an action hero, but more of a handsome smart-ass. Throw a costume on him and make the ring glow, let’s see what could happen.
Bradley Cooper has been in the movie world for a while in variety of different roles, and has the chops to be the man to answer the call ‘In brightest day, in blackest night’.
Poor Jake Gyllenhaal this guy has swung his bat at trying to get a superhero role before, only to get beaten out for the roles of Batman (in the Christopher Nolan trilogy) and Spider-Man (the role went to Toby McGuire). His range is wide, he has all the physical grit to pull it out, and if need be he can get his hands dirty. Go watch him in ‘Nightcrawlers’, he gets dirty while being creepy as heck.
Armie Hammer who has apparently trolled fans online about being casted, seems like a long shot when compared to the other candidates. He’s held the masked-man mantle down before in the forgotten ‘Lone Ranger’ in 2013. Hammer though did get cast as Batman in an unmade Batman movie.
