Today Geoff Johns answered questions regarding the past and future of the Green Lantern character and franchise on screen, commenting "There's always talk of everything, I can't talk about anything else."
Since then conjecture has exploded online about what DC and WB should do with the comic's onscreen counterpart. Some fans would like to see Green Lantern rebooted completely. Some would like to see the character recast and seamlessly integrated into the Justice League film with no reference to the earlier film, ala Marvel's use of Ruffalo/Hulk in Avengers. A small contingent would even like to see Ryan Reynolds return to the role, albeit under the guidance and tighter reigns of a more assured director like Zach Sneider.
Personally, I think WB's course in addressing the failures of the first film while sating the demands of its core audience should be as straight forward as this:
Just give the fans what they want, WB! Recast Reynolds, or bring in a competent and charismatic actor to take his place. My suggestion would be either Bradley Cooper or Jon Hamm. Flesh out the Earth contingent with other Lanterns such as Jon Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner (who most fans agree is the best Lantern anyway) and most of all, emphasize the "Corps" aspect of the Green Lantern Corps.
I'm a Marvel fan and I think I identify most wth Green Lantern because it is the most Marvel-esque of all DC characters. In fact, it's Star Wars-esque is what it is. Use that strength and fly with it!
A reboot isn't necessary, in fact if you did reboot it we would lose Mark Strong as Sinestro, who gave the best performance in the first film and was its most compelling subplot. Pay off the end stinger and bring Strong back. Make his fall from grace and eventual schism, edification of the Yellow Corps and proliferation of the various Corps' and eventual corruption of the Guardians of the Universe, the centrepiece of your next film.
Then once Nekron has been vanquished, drop a tidbit about Darkseid into your after-credits stinger and unify the Justice League and the Green Lanterns in the same way Marvel tie their various chess pieces together with maguffins ranging from SHIELD, to Loki, to the Infinity Stones.
It seems so simple but there's no doubt it will take some hard work, patience, and some briliant writing to do it.
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