There are a lot of names being thrown into the Green Lantern arena as of late, but only one of the men on that list is going to don the ring for the DC Extended Universe.
Videos by ComicBook.com
While Bradley Cooper, Jake Gyllenhaal, Armie Hammer, and others are all on DC’s supposed shortlist, there’s one name among them that could prove to be the best candidate for the role.
The studio has recently expressed interest in James Marsden for the role of Hal Jordan, and he could absolutely nail it.
The actor is known for his take on Cyclops in the original X-Men trilogy, and fans enjoyed his take on the character. That experience would give him the right mentality heading into Green Lantern Corps, as Marsden would know exactly what it takes to lead a superhero franchise.
Marsden understands what fans of comics expect, and he’d be able to use that experiences to make sure that Hal Jordan is everything the people are hoping he’ll be. This is what helped Ryan Reynolds and Chris Evans become enormous successes in their second comic book roles.
More than his experience, Marsden has recently proved to all of Hollywood that he’s an incredibly talented and diverse actor.
HBO took the world by storm with their newest hit series, Westworld. On the new series, Marsden dazzled as forever-good-guy-android Teddy Flood. The gun-slinging hero delivered an array of complex of emotions throughout the show’s first season, but Marsden took it one ste further.
Without losing any of Teddy’s complexity, Marsden was able to make the character accessible on an incredibly human level. While the show’s themes were complicated, even the most casual viewers were able to connect with Teddy Flood.
James Marsden was the reason folks were able to relate to the character, and it ended increasing the show’s overall viewership.
This kind of subtlety is what makes Marsden absolutely perfect for Hal Jordan. The Green Lantern stories take place throughout space, far away from what many of us understand, so it will require an actor who can connect the two worlds.
If Marsden is able to land the role of Hal Jordan, fans would be in for one of the most honest and accessible super heroes they’ve ever known.
Let’s hope he can make it happen.
