Warner Bros.’ first attempt at widening the DC universe on the big screen this decade was 2011’s Green Lantern. If it’d been a hit, we could’ve had a whole universe spun out of it with Ryan Reynolds making more appearances as Hal Jordan. As it was, though, the movie is one of the most infamous entries in the superhero genre, with even Reynolds himself mocking his turn as Green Lantern in the Deadpool films.
Because WB seemed to sweep GL under the rug when 2013’s Man of Steel came around and started the DCEU as we know it, it’s always been assumed that the movie isn’t part of the shared DC universe that’s still unfolding. Mark Strong seems to think it is, however.
While speaking with ScreenRant about his upcoming turn as Dr. Sivana in Shazam!, Strong was asked if this meant Green Lantern isn’t counted as part of the franchise. The actor – who played Sinestro in GL – sounds pretty certain that is, but he suspects the characters will be rebooted in time.
“It is part of the DCEU… But, you know, my version of Sinestro I think is going to be rebooted, as they say, no doubt when the new Green Lantern comes out, which I think they’re doing. But as I said and I mean it, I felt really… it was a little interrupted because Sinestro was gonna go into the second movie and become the yellow Sinestro that we know and love and cause havoc. It got cut short by the fact that they never made a second movie of that particular incarnation of Green Lantern and Sinestro. But, thankfully, I’ve now got a chance to maybe exercise my evil credentials with Doctor Sivana.”
The “new Green Lantern” Strong refers to is what’s currently known as Green Lantern Corps, a project that’s been stuck in development hell over at WB for years. It’s expected to be more of a buddy cop movie featuring both Jordan and Jon Stewart. We’ve heard that it could feature an older, mature Hal, too, and if that’s the case, 2011’s GL might count as an origins story for that version of the character.
This will probably have to be something the fandom decides for itself, though, as it’s highly unlikely WB will encourage tying their new movie back to Green Lantern, which was a huge, embarrassing flop for them back in 2011.
