For months, there were widespread rumors linking Ryan Reynolds to Zack Snyder’s Justice League, but in the end the Green Lantern star didn’t make a cameo. The director has confirmed that he considered getting Reynolds back as Hal Jordan, however, and also revealed that he really wanted John Stewart’s Lantern in the picture, too, but Warner Bros. blocked it.
Now, a new rumor has shed some fresh light on what the filmmaker’s full plans for the GL Corps were. According to tipster Daniel Richtman, Snyder wanted Reynolds to return full-time as Hal Jordan. The director is said to have been ready to try and convince the Canadian star to head back to the DC universe for the long-term, but Warner Bros. vetoed the idea because they have their own plans for that corner of the franchise. Furthermore, Snyder’s intention was apparently to have Reynolds’ Jordan train up Stewart.
Things are known to have got pretty strained between the filmmaker and the studio over the Green Lanterns. Snyder has admitted that he threatened to quit when WB forbade him from using John Stewart, although they ultimately came to an agreement to have Martian Manhunter fill Stewart’s intended role in the movie. Presumably, Stewart will go on to lead the Green Lantern Corps flick as well, if that ever gets off the ground.
Reynolds, for his part, has been very supportive of the Snyder Cut. He even rewatched the 2011 GL movie for the first time to celebrate it hitting HBO Max. Would he have wanted to come back full-time as Jordan, though, given how packed his schedule is? It’s hard to say, but DC fans would probably agree that WB should’ve given Snyder the opportunity to convince him. Assuming there is some truth to this rumor, that is.
So, what’s next for the Emerald Knights? Well, HBO Max is developing a Green Lantern TV series, which may just feature Hal Jordan after its first season. But it definitely won’t be Ryan Reynolds playing him.