Ryan Reynolds’ Biggest Flop Green Lantern Movie Could Have Been Way Worse If WB Had Choosen Jared Leto or Justin Timberlake Instead

Ryan Reynolds sure has changed the superhero genre with Deadpool but his run as Green Lantern will always remain a bit…um, questionable. While there are some DC fans who actually found the movie quite enjoyable, many simply want to cash in a favor over at HYDRA to erase the film from their memories. Which end of the spectrum do you fall on?

Regardless, Ryan Reynolds tried his best to work with what he had. However, the film probably would have ended up in more of a mess if another actor had taken the main spot. Did you know that before Ryan Reynolds was finalized for the film, Jared Leto and others were being considered for the role of Hal Jordan? What’s even more surprising is that Justin Timberlake was also one of those names!

Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern Could Have Been Worse

Green Lantern was made on a budget of $200 million, but the film barely surpassed that amount in its box office collection. It made $219 million at the worldwide box office and according to The Hollywood Reporter’s analysis (via TODAY), it needed to make at least $500 million to not be considered a financial failure.

Clearly, the film did not do well, like at all. However, the film could have done much worse if the producers’ other top choices for the starring roles were selected. These include Bradley Cooper, Justin Timberlake, and Jared Leto.

While Cooper could have done the character justice, we really aren’t too sure about the other two. For starters, Leto’s performance as The Joker in Suicide Squad wasn’t much appreciated by the fans, making his iteration of the iconic villain one of the least-liked ever.

And then, of course, there was Morbius. Critics attacked the film like a hawk hunts its prey. While Leto’s performance was praised by some, the overall flair of the movie was just lackluster, contributing to the downfall of the superhero genre.

Then there is Timberlake. There is no doubt that Timberlake is a phenomenal artist, and his ten Grammys speak for themselves. The Prince of Pop has written his name in stone in the industry and he deserves the recognition he gets.

Having said that, Timberlake as Green Lantern just doesn’t sit right. He has done his fair share of work in the film industry thanks to films like The Social Network, Bad Teacher, and Trolls, but his lack of experience in comic book movies does make us question the producers’ choice.

Sebastian Stan, Too, Was Considered for Green Lantern

Now this is a name that makes sense. We have seen Sebastian Stan play the conflicted yet lovable Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and we know for a fact that he probably would have killed it as Hal Jordan.  

Looking back on losing out the role to Ryan Reynolds, Stan admitted on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast that he’s glad he didn’t get the part. During his recent appearance on the podcast, Stan recalled the day he screen-tested for the film and saw the other actors there. Immediately, Stan’s confidence took a plunge.

He stated,

‘Green Lantern’ was another one I screen-tested for. I remember getting there and it’s like me, Justin Timberlake, Jared Leto, Ryan Reynolds, and maybe one other person. I am looking at these guys going, ‘I am f*cked. There is no way this is happening for me.’

Now that he knows better, he is actually glad things worked out the way they did. In his own words,

You would get close and it wouldn’t happen, but looking back I am almost glad it didn’t. I don’t know if I could’ve handed that level of attention like some of those guys.

Green Lantern may not have been a great superhero flick, but Reynolds made it a bit more bearable. Without him, it probably would have plummeted at a faster speed, and the mess would have been too much to handle.

Green Lantern is available to rent/buy on Prime Video.