Although it seemed like Warner Bros. would push ahead with a sequel to 2011′s Green Lantern immediately after the film disappointed at the box office, their commitment became less solid over the following few years. What most suspected about the franchise’s future was basically confirmed this month at Comic-Con International, when Warner Bros. announced at their panel in Hall H that a new film rebooting the franchise would be forthcoming, and that it would be called Green Lantern Corps. Beyond the title and its apparent promise of having focus on more than one character in the Green Lantern mythos from DC Comics, we know nothing. Now, though, we may have an idea of one Hollywood star who could become one of the most prominent characters in that film.
In an interview with Collider, actor and musician Tyrese was asked about the possibility of appearing in the film, and had this to say:
I’ve already had a couple of meetings at Warner Bros., so we’ll see what happens. I do believe that there needs to be more black superheroes out there, but that’s not even my motivation. I think I would be the best Green Lantern and based on my fans and supporters that spent around $6 billion in box office receipts, I feel like there’s a fanbase of fans out there waiting to see me put on this green suit and do my thing. So I would love to confirm something today but I can’t. We’ll just keep following up.
Tyrese’s desire to play a major part in a rebooted Green Lantern franchise has been known to fans since at least January, when the actor shared a piece of fan art on social media placing him in the costume of one of DC’s primary characters in the franchise, John Stewart. Stewart, who was introduced into the comics in the early 1970′s by the legendary creative team of writer Denny O’Neil and artist Neal Adams, came to arguably his greatest prominence in the 2000′s by being the featured Green Lantern on the “Justice League” and “Justice League Unlimited” animated series. When director George Miller was creating a Justice League film in 2007, actor and rap artist Common was cast as Stewart before the project was placed on the back-burner.
This is just a small taste of the many, many great characters that make up DC Comics’ Green Lantern Corps. At its best, its space opera meets superhero storytelling.
For the 2011 film, Warner Bros. instead decided to focus on the more traditional Green Lantern, Hal Jordan. With Green Lantern Corps being a future release for Warner Bros., though, it gives the studio an opportunity to feature several Green Lantern ring-wielders, since the mythology places the Corps’ numbers at 7,200 strong from multiple planets. Stewart and Jordan make for a powerful partnership in the comics, and it would likely be very satisfying for fans and general audiences to see them work alongside the likes of Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, Arisia, Simon Baz, Kilowog, Tomar Re, Sodam Yat, Mogo, and a plethora of other great characters present in Green Lantern comics.
For more on Green Lantern Corps as it develops further, keep it locked on GeekNation!
