Green Lantern Corps movie will be ‘Lethal Weapon in space’

Warner Bros.’ Green Lantern Corps may not be due to hit screens until 2020, but the movie has a redefined concept and a new writing team as of today, according to Deadline. David Goyer, of Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, will co-write and produce.

Justin Rhodes (Contract Killers) will also co-write, with Jon Berg and Geoff Johns — the recently appointed co-runners of the DC Expanded Universe — to executive produce.

Deadline also has a slightly more detailed and redefined version of the film’s concept:

The new version is described as Lethal Weapon in space, and it’s based on a comic book origin story. The focus will be on two characters: Hal Jordan and John Stewart. The latter is an African American Marine sniper before he joined the Lantern Corps and the story very much focuses on his relationship with Jordan and the Corps.

In modern DC continuity, Hal Jordan, Green Lantern of Earth, was a founding member of the Justice League, and the “original” Green Lantern. John Stewart (not to be confused with the satirist of a similar name) succeeded Jordan as a “backup” Green Lantern, often serving as the Green Lantern of Earth when needed — like when Jordan became the villain Parallax for a good long stretch.

As a Green Lantern, Stewart was also DC Comics’ first black superhero. Wider audiences are likely to be familiar with him from his major role in the 2001 animated series Justice League and its successor, Justice League Unlimited, where he was a founding member of the world’s greatest superhero team.

Deadline says it remains “unclear” whether Warner Bros. would reach out to Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool, Green Lantern) to reprise his role as Hal Jordan. Green Lantern Corps is set to be released on June 19, 2020.