This week, Lanterns has dominated headlines thanks to the news that Josh Brolin is being eyed to play the DCU's Hal Jordan. Since then, we've learned that Ewan McGregor, Matthew McConaughey, Chris Pine, and Timothy Olyphant are also in the mix.
Seeing as all but one of those actors are in their 50s, the rumours have divided opinions. After 2011's disappointing Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds, fans have waited patiently to see Hal again and the prospect of him not being in his "prime" doesn't sit well with everyone.
In this feature, we're looking at the arguments for and against the DCU's Hal Jordan being an older superhero. There are a few clear benefits to a more experienced version of the former pilot and then also some negatives which have left us concerned about the creative direction this shared world is heading in on Gunn's watch.
You can read through this Lanterns breakdown by clicking on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
GOOD: It Appears To Be Part Of A Bigger Plan
James Gunn has an initial 10-year plan for the DCU, meaning he's planned ahead and likely has a good reason for eyeing actors in their 50s to play Hal Jordan (remember, he's already cast the 53-year-old Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner in Superman).
This isn't a new DC Universe and looks set to be a world where superheroes have been established for several years. That avoids the need for an endless series of origin stories and gives Gunn a world he can get straight on with expanding, minus the need to explain who everyone is or why they're there. The characters just...exist. That's not a bad thing!
The Green Lantern Corps should be an entity that's been around for eons and we have to believe the decision to cast an older Hal and Guy is part of a much larger plan. Our guess is to shift the focus to a new era of Lanterns in John Stewart and Kyle Rayner.
BAD: It Limits Hal Jordan's DCU Role
Movies and TV shows take a long time to get made, which is why it will be next July when we finally sit down to watch Superman in theaters (bear in mind that DC Studios announced its slate in January 2023).
Lanterns surely won't premiere on HBO before 2026, meaning at least some of these actors will be closing in on 60 by the time they debut as Hal Jordan. None of them look their age and there shouldn't be a limit on anyone playing a superhero, but are they really going to stick around for the better part of a decade to play a 70-year-old Hal in an eventual Justice League reboot?
The sad fact is that heading down the route of introducing a veteran Hal limits his role in the DCU and likely means he won't be sticking around this rebooted franchise for the long haul.
GOOD: This May Be Leading To Parallax
In the mid-90s, DC Comics made some sweeping changes to its Green Lantern comics, replacing Hal Jordan with Kyle Rayner. In the "Emerald Twilight" storyline, Hal descended into madness after Mongul destroyed his home, Coast City.
After murdering the Green Lantern Corps, he then became the villainous Parallax and remained a villain until sacrificing himself a good decade or so later. Hal then returned as the Spectre before being restored to his old self following the revelation he'd been possessed by the embodiment of fear, an entity also known as Parallax (which eventually powered the Sinestro Corps).
Gunn could be planning to head down a similar route and, after the damage 2011's movie did to the character, a villainous arc which ends in redemption could be a really exciting story which ties into the wider DCU. It might not be the story many of you want to see, though.
GOOD/BAD: That's An Impressive List Of Actors...But They're Kinda Old?
Josh Brolin, Ewan McGregor, Matthew McConaughey, Chris Pine, and Timothy Olyphant. We mentioned them in this feature's introduction and, boy, that sure is an impressive list of actors.
There's not a bad talent among them and we can easily picture these guys putting a refreshing new spin on Hal Jordan that resonates with comic book fans. DC Studios is aiming high with the HBO TV series, suggesting it's going to so much more than another Titans, for example; instead, Lanterns has the makings of a Peacemaker or Watchmen!
We're not discriminating against anyone due to their age but, as we've pointed out, each of them is older than anticipated. Pine is the youngest at 44, with Brolin and Olyphant the oldest at 56. An actor in his mid-30s makes more sense on several levels but that's not the Hal we're getting and many of his best adventures may have already happened.
Then again, look at the artwork above and it may be easier to see what Gunn is going for...
BAD: It's Likely A One-Off Appearance
With Lanterns billed as a True Detective-style murder mystery, we can't escape the feeling that it will revolve around the older Hal Jordan taking John Stewart under his wing, only for us to eventually learn that Hal was the killer all along.
That may set the stage for a much bigger story with Parallax down the line or, alternatively, there's a risk we're getting a condensed version in a pricey 8-episode TV series. Whatever the case may be, with DC Studios eyeing names this big, we'd be shocked if they're planning to sign multi-project deals which will keep them in the DCU for a decade or more.
If Hal is a one-and-done character who breaks bad, dies, or even retires in Lanterns, should we be worried? It's certainly not the story arc most fans will have hoped for and feels like a waste of someone who has already been shelved for nearly a decade-and-a-half. Still, there's one big positive...
GOOD: It's John Stewart's Chance To Shine
Just like many of you will have grown up with Wally West as your Flash, there are also a great many DC fans who view John Stewart as the Green Lantern. That's largely down to his prominent role in the immensely popular Justice League Unlimited animated series.
Regardless of how Hal Jordan is potentially sidelined, John stepping into the spotlight is no bad thing. Okay, Hal's story will likely get condensed or short-changed, but John being the Lantern on the Justice League roster and Earth's main protector isn't anything to complain about and could be necessary to shake off the shadow of that 2011 movie.
We may be viewing a passing of the torch (ring?) here with Hal and Guy taking a backseat for John - and, somewhere down the line, Kyle Rayner, Simon Baz, and Jessica Cruz - to usher in a new era of Green Lantern storytelling on screen.