EDITORIAL: Why I think Hal Jordan should be the Green Lantern in the Justice League movie and not John Stewart

EDITORIAL: Why I think Hal Jordan should be the Green Lantern in the Justice League movie and not John Stewart

Rumors are spreading that John Stewart will be in the upcoming Batman vs Superman movie or even the Justice League movie. Here's why I think Hal Jordan should be the Green Lantern first.

Editorial Opinion
By CeltiC527 - Jan 19, 2014 04:01 PM EST
Filed Under: Justice League
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Hello there, I would first like to thank those who actually take the time to read this and consider what I am trying to say. I would also like to point out that I'm not trying to hate on John Stewart, I actually hope we do see him on the big screen someday, but I just think Hal Jordan would be a better choice for DC to start off with as the Green Lantern. Keep in mind that this is my first article here so go easy on me.

As I'm sure most of you are aware of, for the past couple weeks rumors have been floating around that both Denzel Washington and Dwayne Johnson are up for the role of John Stewart in the upcoming Batman vs Superman movie, now releasing in 2016. Now these are nothing more than rumors but it has lead many people to believe that Warner Bros. and DC have decided to ditch Hal Jordan, because of the unsuccessful Green Lantern movie, and bring in John Stewart as the new Green Lantern. Because of the popular Justice League animated series by Bruce Timm, Stewart became a fan favorite on the show and the only Green Lantern that people who didn't read comics knew about. Leading many people to say "I thought Green Lantern was black!?" when they saw Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan in Martin Campbell's 2011 GL movie.
Now let's be honest here, Timm only went with Stewart in the JL cartoon because Hal Jordan was dead in the comics at the time and they needed a token charter for the show. But Stewart became much more than that and earned a pretty large fan base. But since then, Geoff Johns relaunched Hal Jordan and brought him back into the spotlight in his very successful run on Green Lantern. Hal has since appeared in 7 tv shows, one of which was his own, 8 video games, 7 animated films with 2 more on the way, and of course a live-action film. So Hal has become the main Green Lantern to a new generation! And that's one of the reason why I feel like WB and DC should stick with Hal for their Justice League movie universe.

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It's no secret that the 2011 Green Lantern movie was a major disappointment. Not only was it unpopular among critics and the fans but it was a box-office flop, barely making back its 200 million dollar budget. The Green Lantern franchise was supposed to get a trilogy but ended up getting a one and done film. While there were rumors that WB was gonna go ahead with a sequel, nothing happened and they just decided to move on to more Batman and Superman movies.
With a Justice League movie in the works, many are still wondering what Green Lantern will they use? Recent rumors suggest John Stewart but what about Hal Jordan? While his movie wasn't a hit, you can't blame the character for that. Was it Batman & Robin's fault their movie was terrible? No, the blame should fall on the director and the writers. With Hal's popularity really emerging the last couple of years from the comics and other types of media, his fan base has grown immensely.

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Hal Jordan was a founding member of the Justice League when the group debuted in 1960 and again when DC decided to relaunch their comics with the New52 in 2011. John Stewart only served a member of the team as Hal's fill in when he was unavailable until he because a full-time replacement years later. So you can't really have John Stewart without having Hal Jordan first. And since we've never had a live action JL yet, it' only fair that Hal Jordan gets his due first as a founding member before they decide to bring in John Stewart. And since the Justice League cartoon, Hal has been shown as the main Green Lantern of the team in the animated films such as JL: New Frontier, JL; Crisis on Two Earths, JL: Doom, JL: Flashpoint Paradox, and the upcoming JL War. So in recent years people have become aware of Hal being the Green Lantern of the Justice League.

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Every team needs the lighthearted/ humorous charatcer of the group. For the Avengers, it's Tony Stark/Iron Man. But who will it be for the Justice League? Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Barry Allen Flash, and Martian Manhunter are all serious characters. So having John Stewart would just bring another serious character to the mix. John is a military man and has been portrayed as a hotheaded and serious charter. It worked in the JL cartoon because they had Wally West as the Flash to be the funny character but its highly unlikely they will use him and not Barry Allen for their movie universe. Barry has been the main Flash for years now and is getting his own tv show, so WB will likely stick with him for the Justice League movie. So WB can solve the problem of who will be that lighthearted character by sticking with Hal Jordan. Sure he's not really a "funny" character but he is a lot like Tony Stark, a cocky, arrogant playboy that's and a little bit narcasisstic.
One of my favorite things about the Avengers movie was the dynamic between Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Steve Rodgers (Captain America). Their dialogue alone was a lot of fun to watch and reminded me of another pair of heroes that have a similar relationship, Batman and Green Lantern Hal Jordan. Hal and Bruce have never really gotten along, while they have respect for each other they never really see eye-to-eye. Batman hides in the shadows, uses fear as a weapon, and is really grounded, while Green Lantern is this big, glowing green guy who can overcome fear and doesn't hide himself. One of the highlights of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee's retelling of the Justice League Origin in the new52 was the dynamic between Batman and Green Lantern. If WB decided to use John Stewart and not Hal, they would lose that dynamic they could have had to really ground all these big superhero egos and create some tension. Also, Barry Allen and Hal Jordan are befriends so they would lose that dynamic too.

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Now Warner Bros and DC have to options when it comes to casting Hal Jordan, bring back Ryan Reynolds or cast someone new to take over. I personally think Reynolds was fine in the role but had a weak script to work with. He did everything Martin Campbell told him to do and worked really hard for the role. He knew WB had a trilogy in mind and he was all for it! To see him not return would be very upsetting to me because I want to see him in his true potential for the role and he deserves redemption. I know how much everyone on this site loves to hate him but he truthfully isn't a bad actor. He may not choose the best films to be in but that doesn't make him a bad actor. But the big question is, would he want to return? He did say he had very little interest in joining a Justice League movie, but said a good director and script could change that. I'm sure if Zack Snyder, David Goyer, and Ben Affleck approached him about returning, he would be all for it. Having a new Batman is already confusing enough for the general audience so having Reynolds return would at least bring some continuity to the DC movie universe. And this way it's not a reboot of the GL movie universe and we can still hopefully see Mark Strong return as Sinestro for another GL film, if they choose to do one.

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If WB does decide to recast for whatever reason, I'd be fine with that too. I would go with fan favorite Jensen Ackles. He has been in many fan casts as Hal Jordan and has a pretty large fan base due to his popularity in the show Supernatural. Also because he is a TV actor, WB wouldn't have to pay him as much as a big name actor like a Denzel Washing or Dwayne Johnson.

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If WB does indeed decide to bring back Hal Jordan, there will surely be some people that are disappointed because they wanted John Stewart. So here's my idea that will hopefully make fans of both Green Lantern fans happy. So for the first Justice League movie, bring in Hal Jordan. He already had his origin so there is nothing they really have to explain about him. And if the movie is a success WB is probably/hopefully going to give each member of the team their won spinoff movies. I know I'm not the only one that wants to see a Sinestro Corps War in live action right!? And you can't have Sinestro without Hal Jordan! So for this sequel or requel or whatever the next Green Lantern film will be, you can bet Sinestro and his corps will be the the villains and hopefully we can see Mark Strong return. Now at the end of this film they can have Hal Jordan promoted to Green Lantern Honor Guard. For those of you who don't know what that is, its a promotion in the corps that means a GL is not just restricted to one sector and helps patrol all 3,600 of them. If this happened it would mean a new Green Lantern would need to be chosen for sector 2814, and they can pick John Stewart. He would be the new GL of Earth and would take Hal's spot on the Justice League for JL2. This way, maybe Hal can return for a third Green Lantern movie and fight alongside John Stewart. I think Hal and John fans can both be happy with this.

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So that's my editorial, let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree and tell me what you would do with Green Lantern for the the shared DC movie universe. Thanks again for reading and have a good day.

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Bearjew
Bearjew - 1/19/2014, 4:39 PM
Hal Jordan has so much more to offer. John Stewart is not nearly as complex a character. Hal Jordan in a perfect DCCU would be similar to Justice League: Final Frontier where he is a traumatized ex-air force fighter pilot who is hired by the Ferris Aircraft company to pilot their new jet that is able to sustain flight in upper atmosphere.
Bearjew
Bearjew - 1/19/2014, 4:41 PM
Plus the Barry Allen/Hal Jordan relationship is hilarious and heartwarming and one that is essential for a Justice League movie. On-par with the Stark/Banner bromance in the Avengers.
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 1/19/2014, 4:51 PM
Having grown up watching Justice League/Unlimited, I too preferred John Stewart.

something your article doesn't mention is racial diversity.
Unless they decide to go with a black martian manhunter, then there would be no blacks in the JL. and the green lantern spot is the only other "flexible" character when it comes to race.

Also the rock is a huge name now, him alone attached to a GL film would gross more than Ryan Reynold's GL.

and with Ryan Reynolds jumping back to marvel for a Deadpool movie (announced according to IMDB) I dont think either studio will want an actor on both ships. so they should recast him, but not reboot the GL franchise.

The role is more important than the actor, so im all for recastings.
gamecreatorjj
gamecreatorjj - 1/19/2014, 5:19 PM
Im going to say john Stewart, I mean a lot of people had problems with Hal in his own movie, simply because he wasn't Stewart. I say, the team needs to be at least somewhat diverse, even if the 3 main heroes are white. I mean, I'm not usually one to want diversity for diversity sake, but I think they should open the doors of the league to more than just white people.
gamecreatorjj
gamecreatorjj - 1/19/2014, 5:22 PM
You could still have Hal and Guy, they could be taking care of the other planets in 2814, while John is on earth, or if JL takes place somewhere off world, then those two are dealing with earth. Personally, for the next GL film I'd like to see a Hal and John, buddy space cop film, about Hal being locked down on Oa, and John is stuck on the outside, trying to find a way in.
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 1/19/2014, 5:28 PM
@gamecreatorjj
I dont think adding john stewart would be a move to add diversity for diversity's sake. i just think John Stewart (IMO) is the better character to go with. especially if you have big names like Denzel Washington (might be too old for the role though) and the rock (Huge box office actor).

As for the flash, he mentions that Barry Allen is getting his own show.
wouldn't that be confusing enough to have TWO versions of the same flash, one in the movies and the other in TV?

They're most likely not going to be played by the same actor, reducing the chances of a crossover between the TV and movies. (Would be cool to see Amell atleast make a cameo as Billionaire Oliver Queen)
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 1/19/2014, 5:31 PM
@GliderMan
I agree, they shouldn't reboot it.
but they should have never gone with those awful CGI costumes.
All it did was piss people off and increase production costs.
Lhornbk
Lhornbk - 1/19/2014, 5:39 PM
While I like Hal Jordan, I think John Stewart should be used instead. Like it or not, the majority of general audiences see the GL film as a joke. Giving Justice League any connection to it would be a huge mistake. I might, might be able to agree with them recasting Jordan and using the film as sort of an unofficial origins film, similar to what was done with Ang Lee's Hulk. But using Reynolds at this point would just be stupid. It would be like using Clooney as Batman. But I think they would be better off by totally breaking with that film, and using John Stewart would be the best way to do that. Plus, it would bring diversity to the film.

And I'm sorry, but the idea that they have to use Jordan before Stewart because he was an original member is even dumber. There is no good reason to put the original 7 members in the movie if doing so will hurt the film with general audiences. No, WB/DC does NOT owe it to those who have been reading the comics from the beginning. Having Capt. America help found the Avengers instead of Ant-Man was a smart move on Marvel's part. And quite frankly, it would probably be better to leave 1 or 2 of the original members out of JL, and/or replace 1-2 of them with Stewart and maybe Cyborg too (yes, I mean replacing Aquaman and Martian Manhunter. I just don't see either character helping the movie with general audiences, and I can see them hurting the movie.) You can always add members in the 2nd movie.
feedonatreefrog
feedonatreefrog - 1/19/2014, 5:42 PM
As much as I would like Hal (Jake Gyllenhaal is my pick), it would be much easier to redeem the Green Lantern brand with John Stewart first.

It's not impossible with Hal (especially if Snyder's able to turn him into a total badass) but it's definitely more of an uphill battle. It's not like Batman, Superman, or Hulk where the public knows that before their crappy movies, they are still considered a big deal. With Green Lantern, the only image the public has of the character is that abysmal 2011 movie that made him seem like the lamest generic, silly superhero.

Regarding the point about levity, a John/Barry team up can still be funny. Barry is a hilariously good-natured fanboy geek who says the dorkiest white-boy lines, and having the more practical soldier type as his partner could be awesome.

Once John redeems the brand in the Justice League movie, introduce Hal again in the Green Lantern Corps movie. Have dual leads like Kirk and Spock in Star Trek (and with Guy, Kilowogg, etc in supporting roles like Bones, Uhura, etc).

But regardless of what I think, they'll probably go with Hal (and Cyborg), which I'm fine with. Again, I just think it might be more of an uphill battle.
feedonatreefrog
feedonatreefrog - 1/19/2014, 5:48 PM
And ditto what Lhornbk said about the founding members. This is a different continuity. Just like the New 52, just like the Animated show, etc, etc.

Sure it would be cool for the 1% of the audience who would know and appreciate it, but it's not reason enough.

Avengers didn't have Quiksilver, Scarlet Witch, or Ant-Man, and that worked out pretty great. Once they got audiences on board, they'll introduce them later (Avengers 2 & 3), and you'll get your fanboy moment of the OG members later on.

Justice League 2 or 3 could always bring in Hal, and they could have a fanboy moment where the 7 stand together or something.
CeltiC527
CeltiC527 - 1/19/2014, 5:59 PM
Yeah but the Avengers had their 4 most popular characters Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Thor. The Justice League needs to have their main 5 of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern. We already have three of the five down so now the question remains what about the other two (Flash & GL)? I think Barry Allen and Hal Jordan are the best choices! I've made my point why and you don't have to agree with me.

^ And 1%??? Really???? You think only 1% of the people that see comic book movies are comic book fans!? ROFL
feedonatreefrog
feedonatreefrog - 1/19/2014, 6:25 PM
Lets say JL makes a ~1 Billion.

A movie that grosses ~1 Billion has ~100 Million viewers.

The approximate monthly sales of Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, Red Lanterns, and Justice League comics put together is roughly 200k-300k copies a (and given that people buy issues from several titles in the same month, the amount of readers is likely less).

It's likely less than 1%.
feedonatreefrog
feedonatreefrog - 1/19/2014, 8:38 PM
The best actor for the role...for the win.
AquamanIsTheBest
AquamanIsTheBest - 1/19/2014, 8:47 PM
Superman is an alien, Aquaman is half-Atlantian, Wonder Woman is Themysciran, Cyborg is black, and Martian Manhunter is Alien...green...black...white...ANYTHING HE WANTS...I give you your racial diversity! Yay!
tonytony
tonytony - 1/19/2014, 9:32 PM
John stewart
HulkSmash89
HulkSmash89 - 1/19/2014, 10:19 PM
John Stewart has always been second in my book to Hal Jordan. I think Jordan has had more history to go back on, but he has been around longer than John Stewart. If John Stewart was the GL in Justice League, I wouldn't mind as long as the character is done justice(no pun intended).
TheHeroGothamDeserves
TheHeroGothamDeserves - 1/20/2014, 12:19 AM
Great article, good job man.
SnapperCarr
SnapperCarr - 1/20/2014, 2:23 AM
Hal > John. All John has going for him is the DCAU. That's pretty much it. Hal is the face of the entire GL comic book franchise.

And Barry isn't Superman or Batman level seriousness. Especially in the JL Year One and New 52 Flash books and animated portrayals, Barry has portrayed as much more light-hearted than Geoff Johns paints him.
CeltiC527
CeltiC527 - 1/20/2014, 2:44 AM
@TheHeroGothamDeserves Thanks man! Really appreciate it.

^ And yeah Barry is a light-hearted character but not really a witty, humorous one like Hal, and that's the point I was trying to make.
aresww3
aresww3 - 1/20/2014, 2:52 AM
i´d prefer to see john stewart. never really liked the dynamic hal has with jl. he´s best in his own title. the rock as john would be pretty awesome.happy samoen´s happy brothers. flash should be barry, with a little wally in him. he should be the witty, funny, relatable guy.
aresww3
aresww3 - 1/20/2014, 2:53 AM
john and wally meshed better in the animated series than wally and barry ever have in the comics. i don´t like their dynamic at all.
MightyZeus
MightyZeus - 1/20/2014, 3:09 AM
Great write up. I think it would be good if Hal Jordan where to be given another chance and too be included on the live action Justice League roster. I dont mind Hal Jordan he is a good character but with the right actor to portray the character and good screen writers i think Hal Jordan would be awesome.I do however love Kyle Rayner more mostly because his constructs are more diverse and a lot more creative since he's a cartoonist plus he has good character development.
Leebo4
Leebo4 - 1/20/2014, 3:23 AM
I think they should use hal as well and I will always defend that live action movie he had
Klone
Klone - 1/20/2014, 3:40 AM
@Snapper

Plus Superman and Wonder Woman exchange in playful banter or humor with other characters too. The only dead serious ones are Batman and Martian Manhunter.
Klone
Klone - 1/20/2014, 3:41 AM
I dislike how the New 52 basically makes Superman 24/7 serious, isolated, emo, joyless and DARK N GRITTEH
beto
beto - 1/20/2014, 2:25 PM
No arguing needs to happen here, there's need for one reason to explain why Hal is better for the DCCU than JOhn: Sinestro.
Semperfi742
Semperfi742 - 1/20/2014, 2:46 PM
Really good editorial! I know so many people hated the green lantern movie but I actually thought it was a lot of fun. I wouldn't mind if they made it a part of the DCCU and kept Reynolds in the role. He is a solid actor with a ton of charisma and it seemed like he really loved playing the character. You can't ask for much more than that. Anyways, great editorial and I agree with pretty much all of your points. Kudos!
Darkknight2149
Darkknight2149 - 1/20/2014, 6:36 PM
I don't want the DCCU to connect to 2011's Green Lantern, but yes, I'd perfer Hal Jordon. I think Nathan Fillion would be the best choice. I always wanted to see Fillion do GL in a live action film.
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 1/20/2014, 7:03 PM
I concur
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 1/20/2014, 7:32 PM
This is what I would do.

Green Lantern Reboot (Hal vs Star Sapphire. At the end, Sinestro brings Hal his totalitarian ruled planet and Hal fight Sinestro and hands him over to the Guardians. The Guardians take away Sinestro's ring and banish him.)

JL (Hal)

Green Lantern 2 (the Guardians are angry at Hal's lack of involvement with protecting the Galaxy and only protecting Earth. They order Hal to spend a year on Galactic Patrol. During this, Sinestro forges his new ring and builds his army and a war starts. After the battle, Hal finally returns to Earth and realizes that the ring has been a burden to both him and Carol Ferris so resigns. His ring then falls into the hands of John Stewart.)

JL 2 (John Stewart. Scenes with Hal having a struggling relationship with Carol foreshadowing that he was meant to be a Green Lantern.)

Green Lantern 3 (Hal meets John. Oa contacts John, telling him that The Manhunters have risen and are unleashing the anti-monitor. Hal Jordan can't restrain himself from wanting to help so he comes with John to Oa. After a battle with the Manhunters, Tomar-Re is killed and his ring goes to John. John's ring returns back to its first owner, Hal.)

JL 3 (Hal and John work with the JL)
Gunslinger
Gunslinger - 1/20/2014, 8:05 PM
No love for Guy Gardner? His derranged personality easily one of the best things in Justice League International (after Blue Beetle and Booster Gold dynamic). Not sure how it would work in the first JL movie though.

That honour should go to Hal. Why? First off because he was a fouding menber. Also due to his connection with Sinestro. Look back at the comics and the potential it has story wise. After "Death of Superman" Mogul destroys Coast City. Hal goes insane and wants to use ring power to bring back Coast City. But his ring isn't enough. So he goes against the GL core and destroys it taking their rings for himself. Absolute power corrupts absolutely and Parallax is born. They should go with that storyline. Emerald Twilight.
Battleready73
Battleready73 - 1/20/2014, 8:34 PM
Denzel don't make me laugh and there will be no JLA movie. Batman vs Superman cant get off the ground.
WarnerBrother
WarnerBrother - 1/20/2014, 8:53 PM
@Battleready

That's real helpful.Nobody said anything about Batman vs Superman being cancelled,they only said filming would be pushed back 2 or 3 months and the release date 10 months. Maybe that delay has something to do with setting up a back to back BvS,Justice League film shoot. Don't give in to cynical thinking because you have to wait a little longer.
CPBuff22
CPBuff22 - 1/20/2014, 9:12 PM
Hal Jordan will always be the REAL Green Lantern to me. I grew up with him in the Super Friends & Justice League. I would love to later see John Stewart in something but I want Hal Jordan in anything Justice League... not that WB is EVER going to actually make that movie. :(
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