With the impending release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it’s becoming more and more obvious that we will be seeing a cinematic version of the Justice League fully assembled much sooner than previously assumed. While Ben Affleck’s Batman and Henry Cavill’s Superman will indeed go toe-to-toe, it’s also been established that Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, Ezra Miller’s Flash, and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman will show up to varying degrees before the credits roll. However, there’s one pivotal member of the Justice League who has remained firmly under wraps: Green Lantern.
Absence of any real concrete information regarding Green Lantern and his presence in the DC Extended Universe has led many fans to their own speculations and casting calls. One name that has risen above the rest is Captain Kirk himself, Chris Pine, but new reports indicate that Warner Bros. never even seriously considered him as a candidate.
Collider reports that while promoting his new historical drama The Finest Hours, Pine bluntly remarked as to whether or not he had any involvement in the development of the next on-screen iteration of Green Lantern:
It’s a somewhat strange revelation when we consider the fact that rumors swirled for months that Pine was under consideration for the role – and possibly even a front runner. His casting would have made a great deal of sense as well; he thrives in roles that allow him to portray cocky hotshots, and the Star Trek franchise has proven his ability to sell space bound action, both of which are integral to portray Hal Jordan. Now it seems that’s not the case at all.
“No. I was not offered Green Lantern ever, I’ve never had a conversation about Green Lantern.”
It’s unlikely that Pine feels as though he missed out on the role, however. While he may never have been approached to portray any member of the Green Lantern Corps he will still have a presence in the DC Extended Universe. Rather than headlining his own superhero film, Pine will instead portray Wonder Woman’s love interest – and comic icon in his own right – Steve Trevor when Gal Gadot’s solo Wonder Woman outing hits theaters in 2017. As much as fans wanted to see him don a green power ring, it could prove just as interesting to see him provide a reversal on Marvel’s Agent Carter formula.
The revelation that a big name, fan-favorite actor such as Pine never even received an offer to portray the Emerald Knight could go a long way towards corroborating the rumor that Warner Bros. have decided to cast a relative unknown for the role. In the last few weeks new rumors have begun to surface that the role of Green Lantern had actually been awarded to actor Dan Ambroyer, who is known primarily for his stage work – not unlike Vic Stone/Cyborg actor Ray Fisher. Perhaps the failure of Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern back in 2011 convinced the studio that the character is better left in the hands of a lesser known commodity.
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice will hit theaters on March 25th, 2016, followed by Suicide Squad on August 5th, 2016, Wonder Woman on June 23rd, 2017, Justice League on November 17th, 2017, The Flash on March 23rd, 2018, Aquaman on July 27th, 2018, Shazam on April 5th, 2019; Justice League 2 on June 14th, 2019, Cyborg on April 3rd, 2020, and Green Lantern Corps on June 19th, 2020.
Source: Collider
