Green Lantern Director Done With the Superhero Genre

Against all odds, actor Ryan Reynolds defied expectations and, after starring in the critically and financially disappointing Green Lantern in 2011, made a major comeback to the world of superheroes with two Deadpool films, though director of Green Lantern Martin Campbell doesn’t sound as though he’ll even be attempting to redeem himself in comic book cinema, due to how seemingly disappointed he was by the experience. The filmmaker, known mainly for his action efforts, did note that he’d be interested in expanding his horizons and venture into the world of comedy, with his latest project, The Protégé, seeing more witty banter incorporated than his other adventures.

During a recent Reddit AMA, Campbell was asked directly if there would ever be an interest in developing a sequel to Green Lantern, with Campbell confirmed, “Over my dead body.”

Another question was about a genre he’d like to tackle that he hasn’t worked in before, with the filmmaker admitting, “I’d love to work in comedy! I think I’d do a good job. Marvel? Forget it. I f-cked it up once, never again.”

In the years since Green Lantern came out, Reynolds has been vocal about distancing himself from the project, while also making jabs at himself on social media and even including references to the disappointing film in his Deadpool outings. Campbell, on the other hand, seems to want to distance himself from the project entirely, while also admitting that his biggest filmmaking conflicts were with Warner Bros. during the making of Green Lantern.

When asked about the worst fight he had been in, Campbell responded, “With the Warner executives, over Green Lantern.”

From a certain point of view, Campbell made a great choice for Green Lantern, as he managed to introduce the world to two different James Bond actors (Pierce Brosnan in GoldenEye and Daniel Craig in Casino Royale) to much acclaim, proving that he could make an actor an action star. However, with reports claiming Campbell wanted Bradley Cooper for the role and the studio wanted Reynolds, in addition to sci-fi CGI being uncharted territory for the filmmaker, as well as reports of the final cut of the film being taken away from him, it’s easy to see why Campbell wants to leave that entire realm behind.

The Protégé hits theaters on August 20th. HBO Max is currently developing a Green Lantern series with Finn Wittrock starring as Guy Gardner.

Would you like to see Campbell make another comic book movie? Let us know in the comments below!