J.M. DeMatteis, the acclaimed comic book writer who helped define the character of Guy Gardner during his beloved run on Justice League and Justice League International in the late 1980s and early ’90s, has weighed in on James Gunn’s decision to cast Firefly and Castle star Nathan Fillion as the character in Superman: Legacy. DeMatteis, who has also written Gardner in series like Formerly Known as the Justice League and Justice League 3001, praised the choice, expressing excitement for the casting, which will also carry over to the planned Max series Lanterns, in which Gardner will be featured alongside fellow Green Lantern John Stewart.
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Fillion, who voiced Hal Jordan in animation prior to appearing in minor roles in Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and The Suicide Squad, was announced yesterday as part of a trio of superheroes that also included Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl and Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific.
“Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner?” DeMatteis posted, under an image of the character from an episode of Justice League International. “I’m in!”
Gardner first appeared in a 1968 issue of Green Lantern and served as an occasional substitute for Jordan, who served as the main Green Lantern of the era. He appeared sporadically for years, and at one point had a serious head injury that pulled him away from the Green Lantern Corps, leaving him in the care of a girlfriend for whose attention he had competed with Jordan.
He was brought back again around the time of Crisis on Infinite Earths, with his brain damage manifesting as a short-tempered, irrational, and immature personality. It was that version of the character, with his custom Green Lantern costume and bowl cut, that was introduced into Justice League by DeMatteis and co-writer Keith Giffen in 1987.
That abrasive personality would be exaggerated for comic effect in the Giffen/DeMatteis years, and would become his defining feature for years, only being tempered during Beau Smith’s run on Guy Gardner: Warrior, when he no longer had a power ring and had to rebuild his heroic persona from the ground up. Once Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps returned in Green Lantern: Rebirth, all of Guy’s character development (as well as his new look and powers) were tossed out, bringing him back to his 1987 status quo.
You can see his post below.
Fillion has been a fan-favorite since Firefly, and has routinely been at the top of fancasting lists for characters ranging from Hal Jordan to Booster Gold. Movie posters produced for Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 would have seen him play Simon Williams, the actor-turned-superhero known as Wonder Man. That role has since gone to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who will play headline a Wonder Man series for Disney+.
Critics of Fillion’s on social media are piling on the casting because Fillion has expressed continued support for Firefly creator Joss Whedon, who has been named as an abuser by numerous former collaborators including Justice League stars Ray Fisher and Gal Gadot.
“I mean, listen by his own admission, that guy’s a work-in-progress, and I appreciate that,” Fillion told Michael Rosenbaum, himself a veteran of Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies, in a 2022 podcast episode. “I would work with Joss again in a second. I would work with him again in a second.”
The remarks did not go over well, but Fillion does not seem to have either walked them back or doubled down on them since, apparently choosing to simply avoid the issue in public.
Gunn will direct Superman: Legacy from a script he wrote. The film will feature David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman and Emmy nominee Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. It’s set for a July 11, 2025 release.
