In a recent podcast, James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, described a playful talk with actor Ryan Reynolds about his return to the DC Universe. This conversation centred on Reynolds’ widely criticized performance in the 2011 picture Green Lantern.
During his appearance on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Gunn revealed that he contacted Reynolds shortly after starting his new job at DC Studios in 2022. However, the conversation quickly became funny rather than serious.
“One of the first people I talked to after I got the job was Ryan Reynolds,” Gunn told me. “I was like, ‘You’re coming back?!’ “He says, ‘Get the f— out of here!'”
The first Green Lantern film, directed by Martin Campbell, was a huge commercial failure. It has a measly 25% Rotten Tomatoes rating and grossed $237 million worldwide, making it one of the least successful superhero films. Despite the movie’s flaws, Reynolds met his wife, Blake Lively, on set.
Reynolds has made numerous jokes about his Green Lantern experience, notably in a Deadpool 2 sequence. In that scenario, his character journeys back in time to prevent himself from becoming the Green Lantern.
Although Reynolds has shown no interest in repeating the role, DC Studios is pushing forward with new Green Lantern content. HBO has ordered an eight-part series dubbed Lanterns, which will investigate the superhero’s mythos in a form akin to True Detective. The series will follow John Stewart, a rookie Green Lantern recruit played by Aaron Pierre, and experienced Lantern Hal Jordan, represented by Kyle Chandler, as they solve a deadly murder case.
This series is part of Gunn and Safran’s strategy to revive the DC superhero universe. Their strategy also involves a future Superman feature and the newly released animated series Creature Commandos.
Meanwhile, Reynolds continues to excel in the superhero genre. He will star in the huge Marvel Studios film Deadpool & Wolverine, reuniting with Hugh Jackman and ushering in a new era for the X-Men franchise.
