Dear Warner Bros: My Pitch for a Green Lantern Sequel
Film, television, and gaming fans share a lot of common traits. Leading among these traits is usually creativity and a passion to apply that creativity to their favourite topics. I share this passion and thought nothing would be better than channeling my passion through my written work here at Vendetta and produce a weekly article series where I pitch ideas to the relevant studio/developer in the hope that, one day, someone listens.
So consider this a pilot article if you will, where I will pitch my vision for a Green Lantern sequel. Now, before we get started, I would like to iron things out:
- This is my series, so the thoughts I share may not align with your own, I do encourage interaction on Twitter and Instagram so that you can stake your own thoughts.
- This, for the time being, is entirely theoretical; I don’t need to know how unrealistic or steep something I pitch would be, save that for the studio.
- As I’m not actually writing a script or screenplay here, I will not be delving deep into the intricacies of the pitch, just giving a general outline and fantasy staffing.
- This is entirely a creative outlet, a brainstorming of sorts, but I will take requests and challenges once in a while to shake things up.
Outline
You may already know of the first Green Lantern movie, starring Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan. You may already know that the movie wasn’t very good. The questionable creative decisions of the film have been referenced in Ryan Reynolds’ starring role as Deadpool, for example, the decision to have the Green Lantern suit & eye mask CGI animated.
So, with that being said, why make a Green Lantern sequel? Well, my answer to that question is technically what I am pitching isn’t a sequel. Think The Suicide Squad from this year, while technically a sequel it makes sure to skirt around and only nod to the original Suicide Squad film in 2016 while standing by itself; that is what I would like to be achieved by this theoretical title.
This would be Green Lantern Corps, and I would format it similar to a SpiderVerse movie. With DC operating on the multiverse model, where cross-overs can be achieved in crisis events where two universes cross paths, Reynolds’ Green Lantern will find his universe colliding with the DCEU.
What this allows is for the introduction of the Green Lantern Corps in the DCEU, and presenting Reynolds as the Tony Stark mentor figure for…John Stewart, played by Trevante Rhodes.
In terms of the scope of the film, it needs to be able to achieve two things: Be a good Green Lantern experience and establish key characters, plot lines, and villains.
So the villains of the movie will be Mark Strong’s Sinestro making a return, and the introduction of big bad Atrocitus and the Red Lantern Corps in order for the plot to continue in later titles.
While Green Lantern had some devastatingly inexplicable decision-making, the head chief of its problems was the fact that for a remarkably out-there movie, it took itself way too seriously. What we have seen work in Marvel is their ability to cut the tension with well-timed comedy and a firm understanding of the characters at play. So in this Green Lantern movie, we will take the approach that Thor Ragnarok took.
Making use of what works with a Ryan Reynolds movie, rely on his effortless humour and build around that. But that’s not for me to sort out, which leads me to…
Writing and Directorial Team
While we talk about making use of what works, we know from Deadpool that Reyolds operates better when he has creative freedom and input on the script, so let’s have him write the script. In terms of co-writing and directing the movie, there is one man for the job, Taika Waititi. Waititi also appeared in the first Green Lantern as Thomas Kalmaku, Hal Jordan’s best buddy, so we are going full reunion mode with Reynolds, Strong and Waititi involved.
What helps Waititi’s candidacy for the role is his history with the title and in the broader sense history with comic-book movies. He directed Thor Ragnarok, which reignited interest in the Aesir God’s solo outings after the slow and inconsequential Thor: The Dark World by playing on the comedic specs of Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and himself as Korg.
Having Waititi and Reynolds helm the creative process and foundations for the movie should bring to life a DCEU debut for the Green Lantern Corps to remember, and right the wrongs of the previous movie in its standalone sequel format.
The End Goal
Green Lantern Corps will serve to introduce the characters to the DCEU, giving fans a taste of what we know with Reynolds returning as an older and more seasoned Hal Jordan, applying the creative and comedic minds of Thor Ragnarok and Deadpool with Taika Waititi and Ryan Reynolds at the helm, give Mark Strong the chance to shine in his role as Sinestro the central villain, build the Lantern plotline with the introduction of Red Lanterns for later films, and finally, introduce John Stewart to the DCEU played by Trevante Rhodes, who in my opinion fits the role like a duck to water.
By using the standalone sequel format and the multiverse concept we can give fans something they thought they would never see in a return to the role whilst simultaneously planting the seeds for future Green Lantern movies set in the DCEU.
