Ryan Reynolds notably played Hal Jordan, a.k.a. Green Lantern, in DC’s 2011 movie, though several factors contributed to why Green Lantern 2 never happened. Before Ben Affleck’s Batman and Henry Cavill’s Superman revamped the DCEU’s Justice League franchise, Warner Bros. tried its hand at an origin story for Green Lantern, an intergalactic police officer from DC Comics. 2011’s Green Lantern starred Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, a human who becomes a member of the Green Lantern Corps after being given a ring that grants him superpowers. The film also featured Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, and Angela Bassett.
As with any franchise-starting material, Green Lantern was originally going to receive a sequel to continue Hal Jordan’s story with Ryan Reynolds reprising his role, had the film been well-received. Warner Bros. intended for Green Lantern to be the first installment in a new DC shared universe, following in the steps of Iron Man kicking off the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008. The end credits for Green Lantern even set up the never-to-be-made sequel in which Thaal Sinestro (Strong) is corrupted by the dark power of the yellow ring of fear. Nevertheless, the planned sequel was abandoned in September 2011, only three months after Green Lantern’s release.
Green Lantern Was A Critical Failure & Bombed At The Box Office
By almost all accounts, Green Lantern was considered a failure. Although the movie went on to make $220 million at the box office, it massively underperformed against its budget of $200 million – it was estimated that Green Lantern would’ve had to make roughly $500 million to be considered a success. Green Lantern was panned by critics and audiences alike with generally negative reviews, currently holding a mere 26% from critics and 45% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Green Lantern was wildly disappointing for its large budget, with many scrutinizing its thin screenplay and reliance on special effects and sound over substance.
Green Lantern’s dismal box office and critical reception led to Warner Bros. hastily canceling the sequel. When Man of Steel was arranged to kick off the DCEU in 2013, screenwriter David S. Goyer suggested that Green Lantern’s inclusion in the universe would be a reboot, abandoning Reynolds’ iteration, though Zack Snyder did tease bringing Reynolds back as Green Lantern in Justice League. Another reason for the sequel being canceled was Reynolds’ utter lack of interest in reprising his role, having a clear distaste for the film himself. Reynolds has previously advised fans on Twitter not to watch Green Lantern, only having seen it himself for the first time in March 2021.
Ryan Reynolds Went On To Become Deadpool After Green Lantern
Although Green Lantern bombed for audiences and critics alike, Ryan Reynolds’ Hal Jordan performance still showed he had the capacity to helm a superhero movie, leading to his most notable character to date: Deadpool. Had Green Lantern gone ahead with a sequel that likely would have produced the same disappointing outcome, Reynolds may not have escaped the association of his DC superhero and later been recruited to play the well-received Wade Wilson. Reynolds had previously played a version of Deadpool in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine but revitalized the character in 2016’s Deadpool, which was a smash hit for Fox’s X-Men franchise.
Reynolds’ case is another of the notable transitions from DC to Marvel or vice-versa that worked out better for the actor, such as Tom Hardy first playing DC’s Bane before becoming Marvel’s Venom or Affleck going from portraying Marvel’s Daredevil to the major slot of the DCEU’s Batman. The self-awareness of Deadpool even allowed Reynolds to poke fun at Green Lantern, proving his hatred for the film. 2016’s Deadpool features a moment in which Wilson begs for his costume not to be green or animated, and Deadpool 2’s post-credits scenes feature Deadpool shooting Ryan Reynolds himself while he reads the Green Lantern script, preventing him from ever starring in the film.
Green Lantern Will Be Rebooted In James Gunn’s DC Universe
In January 2023, James Gunn revealed his new plans for the future of the DC Universe. As part of the DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, Gunn revealed that Lanterns would focus on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two Green Lanterns who investigate a terrifying mystery on Earth. Not much is known about the upcoming Lanterns series other than it will take inspiration from True Detective and is set to release on HBO Max at some point after the 2025 theatrical release of Superman: Legacy. The series will reboot the Green Lanterns’ story, so any hope of a future Green Lanterns 2 has well and truly been dashed.
