Ryan Reynolds is jumping from Marvel to DC, having been cast as the lead role in Warner Bros.’ upcoming Green Lantern movie.
Reynolds, who has appeared this summer as Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and in the current romantic comedy The Proposal opposite Sandra Bullock, beat out a number of A-list contenders for the role that included The Hangover star Bradley Cooper, Justin Timberlake and Jared Leto.
The actor will play the role of Hal Jordan, a fearless test pilot chosen to join a galactic peace-keeping force that wields green energy through power rings charged by a lantern. The Hal Jordan version of Green Lantern first appeared in DC Comics’ Showcase #22 in 1959, going on to his own comic-book series shortly thereafter. A different version of the character, whose alter ego was Alan Scott, was published as a comic book series in the 1940s.
Martin Campbell, whose credits include the James Bond films Goldeneye and Casino Royale as well as The Mask of Zorro and The Legend of Zorro, will direct the film. The script is by Greg Berlanti, with Marc Guggenheim and Michael Green.
Production on the film is expected to begin in January.
