# Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691 "2009-07-11T18:18:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/41 "2009-07-14T18:04:31Z")
First, let me say that I’m am absolutely ecstatic to learn that a Green Lantern movie is in the works. GL has long been my favorite superhero, and I’ve said multiple times (maybe not here, but in RL) that if there was ever a superhero perfectly suited to CGI, it’s GL. > [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > My only question is, why didn’t they make GL black? Isn’t that the “newest” GL? > [@Leaper](#): > > I think Guy Gardener is newer than John Stewart. > > Even if not, John is not the most focused-on Earth Lantern right now. Hal still is. Yeah, they pretty much have to do Hal Jordan. He was the “original” (overlooking the Golden Age GL, Alan Scott) and most famous, and is widely considered among the GL Corps to be “the greatest GL ever”. Guy Gardner was detected by Abin Sur’s (the dying alien who gave his ring to Jordan) ring and considered equally qualified for the job; the ring chose Jordan simply because he was geographically closer and time was of the essence. Gardner was eventually made a GL himself, as backup to Hal Jordan. Gardner was introduced in the late '60s. John Stewart was introduced in the early '70s, being made Jordan’s backup while Gardner was in a coma. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/42 "2009-07-14T18:38:43Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Dovovan disagrees. @.52 > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuEsggscWnU](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuEsggscWnU) > > Yeah, GL isn’t known to as many moms as Spider-Man or Superman, but neither were Wolverine or the X-Men. The genre is so established at this point that it doesn’t really matter. No, that’s incorrect. Some characters are simply more famous than others. I’m not even talking about Moms here, I am talking about people within the target demographic. Before the X-Men came out most people in the target demographic would be able to tell you who Wolverine is for precisely the reason **Justin\_Bailey** points out. Even as a member of the Justice League, Green Lantern is a secondary character at best, he’s not Batman, Superman or Wonder Woman. He’s more on the level of say, Storm or Gambit. That being said, a Green Lantern movie doesn’t excite me. Superheroes with godlike powers are uninteresting. His power will be limited by the filmmakers imaginations. Really someone of that level of power should not have to struggle with problems that the average person can comprehend. The only interesting portrayal of a godlike character in a superhero film ever was Dr. Manhattan in the Watchmen as he struggled with one last comprehensible motive, whether or not he even cared about the human race at all. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/43 "2009-07-14T18:57:11Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Well the test for whether something is iconic or not IMV is whether or not people who were never into comics have heard of the character. Green Lantern just doesn’t pass that test though Iron Man does. FWIW, I’m not a comic book guy. I am familiar with Green Lantern but had never heard of Iron Man before the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/44 "2009-07-14T19:18:13Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Even as a member of the Justice League, Green Lantern is a secondary character at best, he’s not Batman, Superman or Wonder Woman. He’s more on the level of say, Storm or Gambit. Storm or Gambit don’t have nor had their own title (at least, beyond a short run). Green Lantern (the non-Alan Scott version) has had over 400 issues published, not counting his involvement in team-up or other tertiary titles (like Green Lantern Corp). He’s one of DC’s top 5 characters, and Green Lantern ranked the 9th most popular title sold in June 2009 (6th in May). ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/45 "2009-07-14T19:20:05Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > …God, I hate Gil Kane. I only hate two classic comic book artists more: Carmine Infantino and Jack Kirby. Without getting into why I think some of Gil Kane’s early work (with Sid Greene, I believe) was good, even great, can you please tell me which comic artists you **did like** , and **why?** ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/46 "2009-07-14T19:30:09Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Well the test for whether something is iconic or not IMV is whether or not people who were never into comics have heard of the character. Green Lantern just doesn’t pass that test though Iron Man does. I’d say quite the opposite. People are kind of fuzzy on who the hell Green Lantern is, but the name is known and kind of familiar - even if he gets mixed up with Green Hornet. People not into comics didn’t know a thing about Iron Man. (They did, however, know a thing about Robert Downey Jr. which is where this casting gets iffy.) ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/47 "2009-07-14T19:32:55Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > [Green Lantern is] one of DC’s top 5 characters Based on what? I’d argue that even low level Batman family scrubs like The Riddler are recognized by the public much more than the Green Lantern. To comic book readers, he’s a star, but he has never appeared outside the comics in any major way (aside from a few appearances in the DCAU). He’s a non-entity as far as the normal movie-going public is concerned. EDIT: I’d also argue Iron Man was a much bigger deal, again, because of appearances in Marvel animated shows of the early 90s. Also, the Iron Man trailer is one of the all-time great trailers (owing a lot to Downey here), I don’t know if a Green Lantern movie could do that. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/48 "2009-07-14T19:36:01Z")
> [@True Blue Jack](#): > > Without getting into why I think some of Gil Kane’s early work (with Sid Greene, I believe) was good, even great, can you please tell me which comic artists you **did like** , and **why?** Don’t want to hijack, so I’ll PM you. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/49 "2009-07-14T20:05:51Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Based on what? I’d argue that even low level Batman family scrubs like The Riddler are recognized by the public much more than the Green Lantern. I was thinking specifically of title characters, not villians, etc. Historically, Superman, Batman, Wonderwoman, the Flash and Green Lantern are their top 5 franchises. Currently, I’d put Green Lantern at #3. Regardless, looking back at previous Iron Man trailer threads, there were plenty of people who had absolutely zero idea who Iron Man was, but wanted to see the movie because the trailer rocked. I don’t see any reason why a kick-ass trailer for GL isn’t possible. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/50 "2009-07-14T20:09:55Z")
I always looked at Green Lantern as being the opposite of Superman’s story, in a way: A human is chosen by fate to go among aliens and fight for us. I just hope they incorporate some of the cop-drama that’s made recent issues of the Corps so good IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/51 "2009-07-14T20:14:00Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Storm or Gambit don’t have nor had their own title (at least, beyond a short run). Green Lantern (the non-Alan Scott version) has had over 400 issues published, not counting his involvement in team-up or other tertiary titles (like Green Lantern Corp). He’s one of DC’s top 5 characters, and Green Lantern ranked the 9th most popular title sold in June 2009 (6th in May). I imagine he’s going to become even more prominent soon, seeing as how the whole Blackest Night summer crossover event is centered on the Green Lantern mythos. **mswas** , I’d hardly call GL’s powers “godlike”. The ring is simply a weapon, albeit a powerful and versatile one. Like any weapon, it can run out of ammunition or malfunction, or be taken away. It requires skill and intense training to use it properly and well. And the simple fact that it relies on the wielder’s willpower, imagination, and ingenuity means that it has limitations. As with anything, the success or failure of the stories comes down to the skill of the storytellers. Also interesting to me is the fact that every Green Lantern’s ring functions differently, depending on the skills and personality of the wielder. Hal Jordan’s constructs tend to take the form of “the right tool for the job.” Guy Gardner goes more for simple energy blasts (and curiously, his is the only ring that makes sounds to accompany the blasts). John Stewart, trained as an architect/engineer, actually builds his constructs piece-by-piece from the inside out. Kyle Raynor, an artist, creates constructs that are equally form and function. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/52 "2009-07-14T20:23:06Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > FWIW, I’m not a comic book guy. I am familiar with Green Lantern but had never heard of Iron Man before the movie. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/53 "2009-07-14T20:24:27Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > He can do anything with his ring. Supposedly. In the real world of comics, oxymoronic as that is, he can’t do anything. His real restriction is not the color yellow, but the limitation that he can only do things that the penciller can render into a visual. There are much more effective things he could do, like those I named or a thousand others, but they would be abstract or non-visual or not POW and WHOOSH. > > For movies, far more even than comics, visual POW and WHOOSH take precedent over everything and anything else. Which may be why I could never get into GL to much of a degree. There is no art without resistance of the medium. If Green Lantern is limited only by his imagination (and yellow things) than he hasn’t got much of an imagination, if the power ring is used only to make giant hammers and hands to grab the villains or whatever. This is the best you can think of, GL? In a way, it’s like Batman and Superman team-ups - once Superman enters the picture, either someone has to have kryptonite somewheres or Batman is superfluous. If Superman can go faster than light, then the bad guys should never get a chance to do anything untoward. Why doesn’t his super-hearing pick up them plotting to rob First Bank of Metropolis before they even get into the getaway car? And simply transplanting the flaw into a movie doesn’t help - at the end of the first Superman movie, he reversed time to save Lois Lane. Heck, if he can do that, he can do anything, and the rest of the action is not necessary. The GL movie will be better if they can come up with some clearly defined limits on his powers - he cannot imitate anything living, for instance, or cannot use the ring to take life. It’s too bad, because Green Lantern has the coolest oath. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/54 "2009-07-14T20:28:21Z")
[Green Lantern film appearance.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUmzR1J_C3s) Just don’t blink. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/55 "2009-07-14T20:37:54Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > **mswas** , I’d hardly call GL’s powers “godlike”. The ring is simply a weapon, albeit a powerful and versatile one. Like any weapon, it can run out of ammunition or malfunction, or be taken away. It requires skill and intense training to use it properly and well. And the simple fact that it relies on the wielder’s willpower, imagination, and ingenuity means that it has limitations. **As with anything, the success or failure of the stories comes down to the skill of the storytellers.** Who I have no faith in. If anyone can do well with it, it’s Legendary, but still, I see some hokey bullshit along the lines of Fantastic Four, Transformers or Alien vs Predator where they try to find some way to make people feel like their plucky mortality is some sort of gift. That it’s not the powers but the power of their humanity that wins the day. :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > Also interesting to me is the fact that every Green Lantern’s ring functions differently, depending on the skills and personality of the wielder. Hal Jordan’s constructs tend to take the form of “the right tool for the job.” Guy Gardner goes more for simple energy blasts (and curiously, his is the only ring that makes sounds to accompany the blasts). John Stewart, trained as an architect/engineer, actually builds his constructs piece-by-piece from the inside out. Kyle Raynor, an artist, creates constructs that are equally form and function. Yeah, that’s cool and all but I don’t see it translating well to a two hour film. I’m curious as to how they are going to manipulate his costume for the film. It’s exceptionally faggy.\* \*No offense to the gay members of the forum, I hope you know what I mean on the scale of FABULOUS!!! to faggy. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/56 "2009-07-14T20:46:25Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Who I have no faith in. If anyone can do well with it, it’s Legendary, but still, I see some hokey bullshit along the lines of Fantastic Four, Transformers or Alien vs Predator where they try to find some way to make people feel like their plucky mortality is some sort of gift. That it’s not the powers but the power of their humanity that wins the day. :rolleyes: Yup. And I bet in the final scene Green Lantern wins by punching the guy after his ring’s power goes out or something lame like that. > [@](#): > > I’m curious as to how they are going to manipulate his costume for the film. It’s exceptionally faggy.\* > > \*No offense to the gay members of the forum, I hope you know what I mean on the scale of FABULOUS!!! to faggy. You mean he dresses like a professional wrestler? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/57 "2009-07-14T20:46:43Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > [Green Lantern film appearance.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUmzR1J_C3s) > Just don’t blink. Oh my God that looks fucking terrible. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/58 "2009-07-14T20:48:17Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Yup. And I bet in the final scene Green Lantern wins by punching the guy after his ring’s power goes out or something lame like that. Yup. > [@](#): > > You mean he dresses like a professional wrestler? Heh, even on the scale of pro-Wrestlers some dress better than others. If Batman is the Undertaker then Green Lantern is the Ultimate Warrior or Hulk Hogan. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/59 "2009-07-14T21:44:12Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Oh my God that looks fucking terrible. Concur with a bullet. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691/60 "2009-07-15T00:02:47Z")
Hey, if _Grayson_ ever got made, it’d easily be in the top-tier of superhero movies. Sure, Green Lantern looks like a guy in a black wetsuit with green racing stripes, but that’s just a budget thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ryan-reynolds-as-green-lantern/502691.md?page=4)