The current state of the DC Cinematic Universe is, to put it frankly, a horror show. While movies like Aquaman and Shazam did manage to earn a good profit for the studio, there will always be another Suicide Squad to stain their reputation. However, there was a time when Warner Bros. had a legit plan for creating their universe. Brendon Routh’s Superman and Christian Bale’s Batman would lead this new franchise. Among them was another underwhelming product of WB titled the Green Lantern, starring Ryan Reynolds.
Possible Future?
The plan was similar to that of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. WB would direct multiple solo superhero movies and then bring the cast together for a Justice League title. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and the Green Lantern were all planned from the beginning. The Dark Knight Trilogy proved how successful these movies could be, while Routh’s Superman was enjoyable, yet had its flaws. So the time came for the Green Lantern to make its debut. Instead of the next hit blockbuster, what we got was an orgy of too much bad CGI.
The big question is, do we really want a new Green Lantern movie? When it comes to DC movies, solo projects like the Dark Knight were more successful than big mash-ups like Suicide Squad. While the green blur did flop on so many levels, he still makes for an entertaining comic book character. The mantle of the superhero has been passed on to many humans in the comics, including the likes of Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, and Kyle Rayner.
With that in mind, there is a lot of source material that could benefit the plot of the movie. The first movie went for a more simplistic approach. Hal Jordan finds a guardian of the corps that crashed on Earth. He picks up the ring from the dying guardian, and boom, he becomes the new lantern. The protagonists need a richer backstory rather than just a small training montage and a CGI suit. The directors don’t even need to go for Hal Jordan as the main protagonist. Fans of the comics have already spoken that they would rather see John Stewart in the role of the titular lantern.
What Direction Should it Take?
So what stories would we most likely want to see? Origin stories have been done to death in superhero movies. By now everybody knows how Bruce Wayne became Batman, and the same goes for all major A-list heroes. Start from an already established superhero, who matured and is now just struggling with the world he has to protect. Spider-Man Homecoming gave us just that. There was no Uncle Ben or spider bites, just Peter Parker trying to be his best as Spider-Man. That’s all we want from a lantern movie.
Our top choices for story influences would be Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War and Emerald Twilight & A New Dawn. The Sinestro Corps War pits all four aforementioned heroes and the Green Lantern corp against their arch-enemy, Sinestro. Emerald Twilight & A New Dawn sees Hal Jordan become the evil entity Parallax and Kyle Raynor picking up his ring to face him. There are many more storylines out there, but we feel like these two would fit right at home for a good movie.
If all else fails, there is always the DC Animated Universe. Like many other heroes of the DC universe, the titular hero had multiple animated adaptations. His most successful one was Green Lantern First Flight. It retold the story of how Hal Jordan became the corps’ guardian and his first battle with Sinestro. However, this time around the plot focused more on the entire corps rather than just the protagonist. With the way WB handles animated movies, this makes for a much safer solution.
Verdict
After viewing the Birds of Prey trailer, I’m finally convinced that the DC movies in their current state need to die. It seems that WB just wants to continue digging its own grave. The failure that was the 2011 movie has quieted down, so it’s safe to give this one another try. Joker is currently killing in cinemas and is a reminder that not all movies need a cinematic franchise to follow. Despite this, we think it’s best if the green blur is left alone for a little longer until WB reboot their bloody mess. The potential is there, but in the wrong hands, it could lead to another disaster.
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“Fans of the comics have already spoken that they would rather see John Stewart in the role of the titular lantern.”
Which fans? There’s plenty of fans who also want Hal Jordan again or Jessica Cruz or Kyle Rayner. Stop trying to act like you’re speaking on behalf of someone else.