The Arrowverse teased Green Lantern but never followed through with it, and the actor who planned for the role admits it was all for the best. The Arrowverse did a lot of great things from the comics, including arguably the best Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event DC fans will ever get in live action. However, there were also some things that they teased that never happened, including the introduction of Green Lantern and the possibility of a Blackest Night crossover event. There are plenty of reasons it didn’t happen, including The CW backing out of superhero fare. The actor who was meant to play Green Lantern admitted they did everything they could to get it made, but it was not meant to be.
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David Ramsey, who played John Diggle on Arrow, was the man meant to become the Arrowverse version of Green Lantern. In a recent ScreenRant Arrowverse Heroes panel, Ramsey said that they were always building to him becoming Green Lantern. “Yeah, it was, right Marc [Guggenheim]? Marc and I tried for six seasons,” Ramsey said. “Obviously, there is a lot of politics around property as big as Lantern.”
Ramsey even admitted to how it would have worked, explaining that they set Green Lantern up when Flash from Earth-90 in the Elseworlds crossover showed up. He mentioned that Flash (John Wesley Shipp) asked Diggle, “Where’s your ring?” He also pointed out that Ernie Hudson played his stepfather, Colonel Stewart. “It wasn’t for a lack of trying,” Ramsey said. “But the right decision was made.”
Ramsey explained that last comment by saying there was too much going on at The CW and in the Arrowverse at the time, and Green Lantern would likely have been disappointing. “I think, honestly, personally, there was so much going on at the time that it’s in the hands it should be in now,” Ramsey said. “Because I’m not quite sure what would have happened with as much as was going on politically, with the property.”
Green Lantern Waiting For James Gunn Was For the Best
When The Flash Season 8 rolled around, John Diggle rejected the ring and chose not to become the Green Lantern. Ramsey said that Diggle not becoming Green Lantern was exactly what his character would have done. It also works out better this way. With The CW losing interest in fan-friendly properties and dumping all but Superman & Lois, it is likely Green Lantern would have gotten the axe quickly after it started.
There were also plans for a Blackest Night storyline that never came to pass. This was teased in Season 8 of The Flash with Deathstorm. When Deathstorm was defeated, it sent shockwaves that even reached Nekron, and this could have allowed that massive event to take place. Of course, you can’t have a Blackest Night with the Green Lantern Corps, so this was another lost opportunity.
That said, Ramsey was correct when he said that the Green Lantern property is in better hands now. While the Arrowverse could have absolutely had a fantastic Green Lantern series and told some great stories, it was too late when the time came because The CW was already losing interest in DC properties. Now, with James Gunn reinvigorating things with his movie slate and HBO Max shows, Green Lantern finally has a chance to thrive on the small screen. Green Lanterns will be released on HBO Max in late 2026, with Kyle Chandler playing Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre playing John Stewart.
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