I, like many of you, am anxiously awaiting to see who they will cast as The Flash and Green Lantern in JL and (potentially) a Flash/Green Lantern team up movie. When pondering this, three main issues/questions come to mind:
1.Should it be Hal/Barry, John/Wally, etc?
2. Should they connect the CW shows to the Cinematic Universe?
3. Should Ryan Reynolds come back?
1. Firstly, I think the clear choice as to which pairing of GL/Flash should be used is Hal/Barry. Hal Jordan and Barry Allen have the most iconic relationship out of the ones I listed which is portrayed in numerous comics whether it be in JL Comics or in the Brave and the Bold. Many people would like to point out that the JL Unlimited Cartoon is where many people who are now in the core demographic of movie goers got their exposure to Green Lantern. I would counter this, by saying that while many people on here and in our circles of friends are extremely familiar with the John Stewart Green Lantern, not that many people actually watched the show. If you go to a random person on the street, chance are they probably won't know what you're talking about when you bring up the JL Animated Series, JL Unlimited, etc. Also, Hal Jordan has the most iconic story arcs, so if they were to go with a solo GL film again in the future, they'd have more material to mine from than if they used John Stewart. As for which Flash should be used, Barry and Wally have become so amanglimated in their character traits that they are indistinguishable to the non-comic reader, either one would be acceptable at this point. If you want to go for tradition's sake, using Hal as GL would warrant Barry and provide the best dynamic.
2. Should the CW shows and the DC Movies be connected? It's compelling to entertain the idea, but in my opinion they should not be connected, unless a condition be met (which I'll get into later). My main gripe with the CW shows is that they are so, damn, CHEESY. If you really look at the show for what it's worth, the acting is on par with film actors, the dialogue is pretty bad, and the world feels very small and "tv". Please try to tell me you didn't cringe during the Flash trailer with lines like "It's better to have a big heart than fast legs" or "You can save them...in a Flash". What would connecting The Flash and Arrow bring to the movies? Many people are under the false impression that connecting the shows to the movies would somehow have the studio accumilate more money. How would that work exactly? I can guarantee you that 99.9% of the people who watch Arrow and The Flash this fall, will also be in line to see Batman v Superman in 2016, regardless of their connection. It's not as if there are people who watch the shows that are EXCLUSIVELY DCCW fans, where would this imaginary profit come from? It's not as if these shows are highly watched either, which is mostly due to the network they're on. The one "condition" I mentioned earlier is if WB/DC are not planning any spinoff movies for Barry/Hal, if they are not, then Flash+GL would only have a small role in the universe anyway, so there'd really be no point in casting anyone new. For right now though, I'd say that they should cast well known actors for the parts, that are NOT on the CW.
3. Should Ryan Reynolds come back? That's a tough question for me, mainly because I didn't hate the GL movie. I didn't love it, I just thought it borderline "okay". I think Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, and Mark Strong were the strong points of the film though, and perhaps it is salvageable. I really doubt that they will bring them back though, because the movie lost the studio nearly $90,000,000. Don't believe me? Look up Box Office Bombs and look at the wikipedia article. That is not a minor loss, in any way. I don't believe that WB wants the "stench of failure" on their new DCCU, and by the time we see a new GL, whether it be 2016, or 2017. The GL film will be 5-6 years old, does WB really want people to think,"Oh hey, Ryan Reynolds was GL in that movie that sucked!" I don't think his inclusion would negatively affect the box office as a whole, but I just don't think they want that elephant to present in the room when people talk about the Justice League franchise. So my verdict on this, while I wish there was a way for Reynolds to be redeem the character, is no, he should be recast.
Now onto the fan casting!
For this, I'll present my top choices for Hal and Barry and my reasoning as to why they could work.
Green Lantern/Hal Jordan
<img src="/images/users/uploads/55897/Hal.jpg" />
<img src="/images/users/uploads/55897/Matt.jpg" />
Matthew McCounaghey
Inspired by a fan trailer that was posted here a few weeks(?) ago. He's a well respected actor now, who looks like a superhero. He can definitely play up the cocky, shoot first ask questions later type attitude, but can also bring the comedic timing when needed. I think Hal Jordan should be on the older side, as he is constantly butting heads with Bruce Wayne. They should be around the same age so it doesn't look like the young kid nagging the older, more experienced guy.
Alternative choice: Bradley Cooper
The Flash/Barry Allen
<img src="/images/users/uploads/55897/Flash.jpg" />
<img src="/images/users/uploads/55897/Chris Pine.jpg" />
Chris Pine
He's shown time and time again that he can play a witty, funny, yet serious when he needs to be character. Which is perfect for the Flash. As an added bonus, he also looks like the comic counterpart.
Alternate choice: Jake Gyllenhaal
Any comments, suggestions and constructive discussion is welcome down below!
*I'll upload pictures when the Image Embedder works.*