LANTERNS: Why Casting An Older Hal Jordan Could Be A Great Idea...Or One Of DC Studios' Biggest Missteps

With some big names eyed to take on the role of Hal Jordan in the DCU, we're taking a closer look at why casting an older actor as the Green Lantern Corps member could be a good idea...or a very bad one.

By JoshWilding - Sep 04, 2024 12:09 PM EST

Filed Under: Lanterns

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

Hal-Jordan-and-the-Green-Lantern-Corps-Vol-1-17-Textless-copy

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

who-do-you-wanna-see-play-hal-jordan-in-the-dceu-v0-86ewbiz4sn891-copy

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.

LANTERNS: DC Studios Rumored To Be Eyeing ELVIS And CHEVALIER Star To Play DCU's John Stewart

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66 Comments

1 2

HashTagSwagg - 9/4/2024, 12:43 PM

I'm sick of this "passing of the torch" crap, these dudes patrol various sectors of the galaxy, they've done plenty of stories with the core 4 human lanterns being off world having their own adventures. Hal shouldn't have to die or be degraded in order to prop up John.

BillyBatson1000 - 9/4/2024, 12:49 PM

@HashTagSwagg - it's almost as if they're embarrassed by the original characters.

NonPlayerC - 9/4/2024, 12:56 PM

@HashTagSwagg - yeah I get your point but as long as they establish Hal as a true legend in the corps and has saved the galaxy one or twice in the past I okay with it. No it’s not needed to have Hal fall for John to be great, it makes for a more compelling narrative for casual audiences. Hopefully first season is buddy cop, second parallax, and maybe a redemption arc for Hal as specter after

The1st - 9/4/2024, 12:56 PM

@HashTagSwagg - Yeah, I don't know why that keep forcing this young John Stewart crap. Rayner's right there. Also, Rayner's mask always makes me think of this.

?si=t0vCrcMJUwXGDr1h

NonPlayerC - 9/4/2024, 1:07 PM

@The1st - there is no other A list black dc character. Power wise and popularity wise. Who else is there? Cyborg? He should be in titans first and while there were an obscene amount of issues with snyderverse, cyborg felt out of place. I’d still argue John is bigger than cyborg. Mr terrific is a b hero. Just looked up a list of the best black dc heroes because I couldn’t think of any others and those were the top 3 followed by static shock, steel, and black lightning. John is their only choice for a badass black hero in my opinion. He’ll be the JL lantern no doubt in my mind anyway. It’s the world we live in that people want to see someone that looks like themselves in a movie. I love me some raynor runs myself but he doesn’t check the boxes like John does

The1st - 9/4/2024, 1:14 PM

@NonPlayerC - No, agreed. I'm just not sure how I feel about this forced True Detective narrative we're apparently getting, even if it is to set up Parallax. John isn't even depicted as young in the JL and JLU show, so I don't know why this is the way. I get Brolin, but, like I said before, it just feels like someone in the think tank said, did you see Brolin in MIB 3 and said yes...this will work. I'm glad studios are moving away from nebulous cloud villains, which is funny because they claim to want to ground comic stuff in reality for some inexplicable reason, but I hope if it is Parallax we actually get it this time.

soberchimera - 9/4/2024, 1:15 PM

@HashTagSwagg - Kyle and John fans hate Hal, that’s the tall and short of it. The same way Wally fans hate Barry. They would rather those characters die/retire than have them co-exist with the characters they find more “worthy” despite the fact Barry and Hal reinvigorated the public’s interest in superhero’s in the 50s.

NonPlayerC - 9/4/2024, 1:18 PM

@The1st - yeah agree on John not needing to be young, I’d say 30-35 if Hal is 50 though. I like Hal having some time as the only green lantern in earths sector to make him a legend. I feel like brolin the the biggest distraction after playing thanos and cable already

The1st - 9/4/2024, 1:20 PM

@NonPlayerC - I guess I don't feel age makes him a legend. I feel like they can condense it like they're apparently doing with Bruce and a lot happens in a short amount of time to make him said legend. I rather see Brolin as Darkseid anyway, assuming they get that far.

The1st - 9/4/2024, 1:25 PM

@soberchimera - That...is your opinion. I don't hate Hal or Barry cuz I grew up with Wally and John. They just have to make it work. I don't understand why Hal has to be old to have experience. They seem to have committed to this True Detective narrative for some reason, allegedly. I would love to watch a JL movie and the gang be in trouble and Barry comes out of retirement to help cuz the stakes are just too high. They need to think it through, and I'm sure they are...it's just this is the first thing in the new DCU that has me scratching my head so far.

soberchimera - 9/4/2024, 1:28 PM

@The1st - Not all, but I’ve seen tons of Kyle and John fans online go off on how boring they think Hal is despite Geoff Johns’ run being the most successful GL run of all time. They just don’t like the character and they want to diminish his importance to the GL franchise.

NonPlayerC - 9/4/2024, 1:29 PM

@soberchimera - aww come on there’s enough love to go around. I used to not like Kyle but then read some of his runs. It’s just about what we all saw first and stuck with us. I try to appreciate all the generational flashes, GLs, and robins (except Damien, I can’t stand Damien for some reason, think it’s everyone else’s love for him over dick) at the end of the day I’d rather them kill or retire the character and pass the mantle to someone new than try to change their personality/race/gender/sexuality. Yeah the OGs deserve their time to shine but just doenst always work out. Now I’m curious how they’re gonna handle the flash. Gonna be Barry or Wally you think? If it’s Wally it will be divisive I’m sure

soberchimera - 9/4/2024, 1:31 PM

@NonPlayerC - I agree, can’t stand Damien either. Tim Drake will always be the best Robin.

The1st - 9/4/2024, 1:32 PM

@soberchimera - Thanks for clarifying. I'm not really sure either. I like Hal just as much as John. It's like 1 and 1a for me, even down to the dynamics. If it's John you get Wally, if it's Hal you know you're getting Barry. Every OG character has baggage, and I'm not getting into Hal's, but I still enjoy the body of work overall.

soberchimera - 9/4/2024, 1:41 PM

@The1st - Also, let’s not beat around the bush here, Emerald Twilight was a complete character assassination of Hal, and the Kyle crowd loves to bemoan Green Lantern: Rebirth as a lame retcon although they would bitch in equal measure if Kyle suddenly acted out of character and became a mass murderer.

NonPlayerC - 9/4/2024, 1:43 PM

@soberchimera - nah man, it’s all about the Dick… Grayson. He’s actually my main concern with guns dc. If Damien is the robin im hoping they do nightwing justice. Hopefully Jason’s dead and Tim’s in college as Red Robin

soberchimera - 9/4/2024, 1:48 PM

@NonPlayerC - Tim Drake had the first, second, and third Robin solo series, the last of which lasted over 100 issues. Most.people associate Dick with Nightwin, but Tim is the Robin whose received the most character depth in that role.

The1st - 9/4/2024, 1:49 PM

@soberchimera - I'm actually curious to see how far they go with this "edgier" Supergirl, and how far they go with the corps...cuz she should have a red ring in her future if they go all in.

The1st - 9/4/2024, 1:51 PM

@NonPlayerC - Yeah, something just makes me think if they're doing Teen Titans we're not getting that at all given the current status quo at DC...we're just getting Titans.

NonPlayerC - 9/4/2024, 1:54 PM

@soberchimera - you have a point sir

NonPlayerC - 9/4/2024, 1:59 PM

@The1st - I read some of that run, and yeah she’d be a great hero vs hero movie villain as a red lantern. While I am getting tired of the hero vs hero that would be one of the few ways I’d be pleased to see work out

The1st - 9/4/2024, 2:09 PM

@NonPlayerC - I've always wondered exactly how this will be handled. I feel Damien should be, comics aside, no younger than 15/16 live action or it isn't believable. Yes, I know X-23 was a thing, but she was more feral and it made more sense to me...I'm not saying younger won't work, but, for the other Robins especially, you get into murky territory with his wards going out into the field in live action and they're any younger unless they're finally moving away from grounded in reality Batman and we get something more The Batman animated show in nature. Even after the Zucko arch in BTAS we didn't see Grayson immediately suit up, the training just began.

EskimoJ - 9/4/2024, 3:02 PM

@soberchimera - The 50s? Jeez, did they reinvigorate the interest within this millennium?

NonPlayerC - 9/4/2024, 3:19 PM

@The1st - yeah that whole thing might end up being a mess. They kind of did it in kick ass with Chloe moritz and nic cage but that’s a different comic tone. With the whole family starting with Damian being what’d they say 11? If Tim’s out of the house/graduated early being the genius 17, Jason dead 22 would have had to die younger or Bruce had no qualms recruiting another orphan boy to be his next soldier/ dick 27 starting robin at 15 knighting 20. Say bruce adopted dick at 25 he’d be around 52 by now. Unless he had multiple robins at the same time or at least was already taking care of Tim when Jason died. I’m interested how they are gonna go with it, hopefully they dont try to over due it and add the elseworld girl robins Stephanie and Carrie

soberchimera - 9/4/2024, 3:57 PM

@EskimoJ - Well yeah, did you read Green Lantern: Rebirth or Flash: Rebirth?

MCUKnight11 - 9/4/2024, 12:47 PM

It certainly is a choice.

BillyBatson1000 - 9/4/2024, 12:48 PM

Older, well-established, actors would bring this project some gravitas. And those people are not going to sign-up without a strong script, rounded - well written characters. Everything the original GL film lacked.

NonPlayerC - 9/4/2024, 12:52 PM

@BillyBatson1000 - yeah, I’d prefer a less known actor because having stars in these roles I find distracting but if it make casual viewer watch and give the show multiple seasons I’m in

BillyBatson1000 - 9/4/2024, 12:55 PM

@NonPlayerC - Good point, I expect it will come down to budget.

The1st - 9/4/2024, 1:01 PM

@BillyBatson1000 - ...always does.

NonPlayerC - 9/4/2024, 12:48 PM

1 olyphant - an older tired charm I can see
2 McConaughey - same he’s got great range with charisma and darkness, voice might be odd as parallax but he can get rid of his country accent.
3 pine - could work wouldn’t be excited
4 brolin - he’d be good, maybe a little too dominating as Hal, always saw Hal with at least an edge of carefree and comedy. He’d obviously be great at parallax
5 mcgregor - I just don’t see. Other end from brolin, never seen him be truly commanding and whoever Hal is will have to go from hopefully kind of laid back, but responsible Hal to evil parallax
I’m sure it could work with any of them, it’s the director at the end of the day. I think they’ve got a decent plan but at the end of the day one director can win an actor an Oscar the next year another director can make them win a razzie

BillyBatson1000 - 9/4/2024, 12:51 PM

@NonPlayerC - Mcgregor is inconsistent too. Sometimes he puts in the work, sometimes he phones-it-in with a grin.

TheVisionary25 - 9/4/2024, 12:53 PM

@NonPlayerC - I can’t really see McConaughey honestly.

McGregor and Brolin could maybe work but between Olyphant and Pine is my choice tbh.

HashTagSwagg - 9/4/2024, 12:54 PM

@NonPlayerC - Brolin would be a better fit for Kilowog

NonPlayerC - 9/4/2024, 1:14 PM

@TheVisionary25 - Matt’s just got range from his charm in rom coms, to a sociopath nihilist in true detective, overconfident business man in wolf of walllstreet, and he’s apparently a great motivation speaker if you listen to some Texas longhorn players. I have him and pine pretty close though

TheVisionary25 - 9/4/2024, 1:16 PM

@NonPlayerC - hmmm , perhaps

Idk , I would give him a shot though though he wouldn’t be my pick (the Texas twang he has affects me).

NonPlayerC - 9/4/2024, 1:32 PM

@TheVisionary25 - yeah he’d have to drop that

TheVisionary25 - 9/4/2024, 1:38 PM

@NonPlayerC - idk if he can lol

It’s in all the roles I’ve seen him in

soberchimera - 9/4/2024, 1:42 PM

@NonPlayerC -
6- Gunn should just cancel the damn thing and do a movie instead.

NonPlayerC - 9/4/2024, 3:48 PM

@TheVisionary25 - white boy rick he dropped it and had like a kinda northern midwestern thing going on, now that you say it im not sure if he can speak like a normal person

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LANTERNS: Why Casting An Older Hal Jordan Could Be A Great Idea...Or One Of DC Studios' Biggest Missteps

With some big names eyed to take on the role of Hal Jordan in the DCU, we're taking a closer look at why casting an older actor as the Green Lantern Corps member could be a good idea...or a very bad one.

GOOD: It Appears To Be Part Of A Bigger Plan

BAD: It Limits Hal Jordan's DCU Role

GOOD: This May Be Leading To Parallax

GOOD/BAD: That's An Impressive List Of Actors...But They're Kinda Old?

BAD: It's Likely A One-Off Appearance

GOOD: It's John Stewart's Chance To Shine

LANTERNS: DC Studios Rumored To Be Eyeing ELVIS And CHEVALIER Star To Play DCU's John Stewart

LANTERNS Reportedly Enlists THE END OF THE F*CKING WORLD Director Lucy Tcherniak

LANTERNS: DC Studios Rumored To Be Eyeing ELVIS And CHEVALIER Star To Play DCU's John Stewart

LANTERNS Reportedly Enlists THE END OF THE F*CKING WORLD Director Lucy Tcherniak

RUMOR: DC Studios' Next Top Pick For LANTERNS' Hal Jordan Now Josh Brolin Has Passed Possibly Revealed

LANTERNS: DC Studios Rumored To Be Eyeing ELVIS And CHEVALIER Star To Play DCU's John Stewart

LANTERNS Reportedly Enlists THE END OF THE F*CKING WORLD Director Lucy Tcherniak

RUMOR: DC Studios' Next Top Pick For LANTERNS' Hal Jordan Now Josh Brolin Has Passed Possibly Revealed

Josh Brolin Has Passed On Playing Hal Jordan In DCU LANTERNS Series

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