The Batman vs. Superman rumors continue to persist this week as Denzel Washington has been thrown into the mix for Zack Snyder’s upcoming sequel. At first, sources said he was being looked at for the role of Lex Luthor, perhaps because Joaquin Phoenix had turned it down. Now, however, Nuke The Fridge is reporting that Warner Bros. wants Washington as John Stewart, the third Green Lantern and the one who succeeded Hal Jordan.
Of course, this is in no way confirmed and it’s very likely that this is nothing more than a rumor. After all, we’ve heard that Warner Bros. is purposefully passing out false information in hopes of identifying where the leak is coming from. This bit about Washington could very well be a part of that. As of this time, there’s just no way of knowing for sure, unfortunately.
On the flip side, if the rumors are true, then it’s hard not seeing Batman vs. Superman as the perfect lead-in for the long hinted at Justice League movie. We’ve already got our Batffleck, Henry Cavill is returning as Superman, Gal Gadot has been cast as Wonder Woman, and we’ve got the CW bolstering up their superhero television programming – Denzel would be a seamless fit as the next Green Lantern. Sorry Ryan Reynolds, everyone needs to move on from what could possibly be one of the worst superhero movies of all time/greatest product placement for those Matchbox car racetracks.
Given the choice, I’d much rather see Denzel Washington as John Stewart over Lex Luthor. I think he’d be a devilish Luthor, honestly, but I want to be able to root for the actor. Put all the weight and responsibility of being a Lantern on Denzel’s back, let him struggle with the ring’s power, and then let him wear an ACTUAL Green Lantern costume instead of animating his freakin’ clothing – including his eye mask.
As far as rumors go, this is definitely on the more exciting side, as DC really needs to match the fantastic universe Marvel is putting/has put together. Denzel Washington as John Stewart would be a bit of dream casting if you ask me, but since this is just some talk right now, we’ll have to wait for more concrete announcements on whether or not this information is just a plant. If it is, damn you Warner Bros. for teasing the hopes of fanboys and fangirls everywhere. Batman vs. Superman is already going to be an interesting film to watch play out, and adding Washington’s name to the mix amps up the hype that much more – brilliant marketing, if anything.
So what do you Green Lantern fans think? Could Denzel Washington pull off the roll of John Stewart? Let us know in the comments section below.