GREEN LANTERN: 10 Ways Warner Bros. Can Avoid The 2011 Movie's Mistakes On HBO Max And In Theaters

Green Lantern Corps is still supposed to be coming to theaters, while a Green Lantern series is on the way to HBO Max. These are the mistakes of the 2011 movie that they both definitely need to avoid...

By JoshWilding - Jun 05, 2020 08:06 AM EST

Filed Under: Green Lantern

Despite a few visual changes to the source material, comic book fans and just about everyone else were convinced that Green Lantern would be this generation’s Star Wars. It was, but sadly more along the lines of The Phantom Menace than A New Hope…in short, it was an underwhelming mess.

It got some things right (a few casting decisions and the odd few scenes), but Warner Bros.’ first major non-Batman/Superman DC Comics adaptation was a critical and commercial flop. Green Lantern could and should have been the start of a new franchise, but we're now stuck waiting for a reboot.

That's supposed to be coming in the form of a Green Lantern Corps movie and an HBO Max TV series, but what can Green Lantern’s new adventure do to avoid making the same mistakes as the past? Here, we present just ten possible solutions as well as some suggestions as to where this next take should go.

To find out more, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button down below!

10. The Costume

While the decision to go for a costume brought to life with VFX made sense in some respects, the end result was not great in 2011’s Green Lantern. The suit is made of pure energy, but what they ended up going with looked ugly and undeniably artificial.

Was this the result of poor special effects work or an indication that CGI superhero costumes simply don’t work? Perhaps at the time, it was a mixture of both, but Marvel Studios has proved this approach can work, as you need only look at the MCU's Spider-Man for proof of that.

This time, having an actor running around in a grey mo-cap suit will only work if Warner Bros. is willing to spend the money, and we just hope the white and black parts of the suit make the cut.

9. Ditch The Origin Story

We’ve been at a point in superhero movie history where we’re getting relative frequent reboots of releases which came out just a few years prior, and recycling origin stories really isn't necessary.

It will have admittedly been a good nine or ten years by the time Green Lantern’s next movie/first TV show arrives, and though that's a significant amount of time, why bother covering old ground?

Regardless of which members of the Green Lantern Corps we first meet, it would be much better to pick things up with an experienced Hal Jordan (or, hopefully, John Stewart) and avoid all the typical fish out of water and learning to use his powers scenarios which the 2011 version spent so much time on. After all, that can all be explained away in a matter of moments.

8. Make Oa Feel Like A Real Place

The biggest problem with Oa in the first Green Lantern is that it felt like a lifeless computer generated world (and looked like one too). In fact, it’s incredible to think that they apparently spent upwards of $250 million on the movie, and delivered such a bland base for the Green Lantern Corps.

Remember, Oa is actually one of the oldest planets in the universe, so make it look that way! Using real-life locations will help highlight the fact that this is an ancient world which has been home to the Green Lantern Corps for such a long time, and the right balance between old and new to make Oa a unique and visually very interesting location is a must.

Star Wars is the perfect place to turn for inspiration if Warner Bros. is unsure what direction to take.

7. Increase The Practical Effects

We've alluded to a practical take on both the costume and home of the Corps, and while the movie will have little other choice than to rely on special effects for the character’s powers, there’s still plenty which can be done to bring a more authentic feel to both the film and TV show.

When fans saw the first images of the Green Lantern Corps, the response was overwhelmingly positive, but as they ended being little more than blatantly CGI extras when in motion, that didn't last.

They felt lifeless due to the fact that actors were brought in at the last minute to provide their voices, and had no real personality. Using puppets and motion capture with a smaller cast would help a lot.

6. Give Sinestro His Due

Mark Strong was perfectly cast as Sinestro, but what a waste that ultimately ended up being.

The character had very little to do in the movie, and a mid-credits scene which should have been as exciting as when Nick Fury turned up to tell Tony Stark about the "Avengers Initiative" felt shoehorned in and wholly unnecessary. Now, the character is in desperate need of redemption.

There are a few different directions the DCEU could take Sinestro in, whether it’s pairing him up with Hal Jordan in a buddy cop type scenario (where they’re not exactly the best of pals) or having him already turned to the dark side as the leader of the Sinestro Corps. Either would work.

5. The Other Corps...

When Geoff Johns was writing Green Lantern, he made the genius decision to introduce a number of other Corps. Now, getting to meet some (or all) of them is essential regardless of whether it's in a movie or TV show, and something the that 2011 effort failed to capitalise on or even hint at (well, beyond the aforementioned Sinestro Corps tease which didn't make sense).

Each based on a different emotion, you have Green (Will), as well as White (Life), Red (Rage), Orange (Avarice), Yellow (Fear), Blue (Hope), Indigo (Compassion), Pink (Love), and Black (Death). There are countless stories which could be told with all of them, especially as they're made up of a lot of really interesting and compelling characters it would be amazing on screen.

Thinking about it, that HBO Max series is probably the best place to make this one happen.

4. ...And More Human Lanterns

If the next Green Lantern movie or TV does indeed take place a few years into Hal Jordan’s tenure as a member of the Corps, there’s no reason we can't meet some of the other human Lanterns.

Whether it’s John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner, Simon Baz, or Jessica Cruz, seeing any one of them would be a real treat for comic book fans and gives Hal someone to play off. Alternatively, the movie could be set after Hal’s fall as the greatest of the Green Lantern Corps (where, after being possessed by Parallax, he practically destroyed them all).

The fallout from that would be a very interesting place to pick up from in either a film or TV show.

3. Sinestro Corps War

If there’s one storyline which a movie or TV should prioritise adapting, it’s the epic Sinestro Corps War. Rightly considered one of the greatest comic book events of all-time, it’s a long and sweeping tale involving a number of characters and locations across the cosmos of the DC Universe.

Like The Lord of the Rings, you could have a story like this play out over a trilogy, but it would work just as well across a few seasons of television. A lot of Green Lantern’s adventures take place in outer space, but when Sinestro and his Corps (who use the power of Fear) invade Earth, a number of superheroes also ended up getting involved.

The story ended with a fistfight between Hal and Sinestro (minus their power rings), and that alone is something we definitely want to see brought a live-action setting in the DCEU.

2. The Right Supporting Cast

You would think that the 2011 movie made a smart choice by deciding to focus on two or three members of the Corps, but it came across as just plain lazy. The cast back on Earth didn’t fare much better as we had Hal’s annoying best friend (Taika Waititi in one of his earliest acting gigs) to contend with, and a number of unnecessary additions who had no real place being here.

As well as some of the characters we’ve mentioned throughout this feature, the reboot needs to keep a tighter focus on the relationship between Hal and Carol Ferris. On Oa, make it more of a team based movie if necessary, but give the aliens their own unique personalities and don’t just focus on two or three who are the most recognisable to casual comic book fans.

Honestly, the Guardians of the Universe could do with being a little more interesting too!

1. Parallax

After the abomination we got in Green Lantern, Parallax needs to be done right. As one of the seven emotional entities, the ancient horror is comprised of pure fear that can possess other beings.

Known to ravage planets and strike terror into the hearts of even the Guardians of the Universe, Parallax is a formidable foe and was wasted in the 2011 version. Instead of getting a terrifying monster like the one you see above, Marin Campbell instead offered up a big brown cloud.

To avoid any accusations of repeating what we’ve already seen, the eventual reboot should probably just tease Parallax instead of giving him a leading role. Tackling the story where Hal Jordan is possessed by this entity somewhere down the line could be truly epic film or TV event.

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56 Comments

1 2

tmp3 - 6/5/2020, 8:47 AM

We still don’t even know the show-runner. Really hope Berlanti doesn’t get one of his Arrowverse guys to run this ship.

Highflyer - 6/5/2020, 8:55 AM

Some of these aren't mistakes that the 2011 film made. More human lanterns in the Hal's first solo film/.

nibs - 6/5/2020, 8:55 AM

call me a pessimist but I suspect it will be impossible to get this right. if they are looking to anything for inspiration I hope it's the mandolorian

GhostDog - 6/5/2020, 8:56 AM

1. Don’t let Berlanti Arrowverse it

Doomsday8888 - 6/5/2020, 8:58 AM

Gotta say, the hype is real for this tv show, can't believe we'll even get Sinestro!

I reckon they intend to connect it with the movies.

ALegendaryPanda - 6/5/2020, 9:08 AM

Considering how great television can get these days, I think I'm actually more excited for this series than I would be for a movie.

Although if they moved forward with another movie I'm there day one. At the end of the day I just want more Green Lantern content

RolandD - 6/5/2020, 9:10 AM

The villains were some of the worst parts of this movie.

WakandaTech - 6/5/2020, 9:10 AM

2022 is going to be a Massive and Amazing year for the DCEU

Flash
Shazam 2
Aquaman 2
Green Lantern Corps (HBOMax)
Justice League Dark (HBOMax)

KWilly - 6/5/2020, 9:14 AM

@WakandaTech - Is GL Corps confirmed for a 2022 release date tho?

1 2

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GREEN LANTERN: 10 Ways Warner Bros. Can Avoid The 2011 Movie's Mistakes On HBO Max And In Theaters

Green Lantern Corps is still supposed to be coming to theaters, while a Green Lantern series is on the way to HBO Max. These are the mistakes of the 2011 movie that they both definitely need to avoid...

10. The Costume

9. Ditch The Origin Story

8. Make Oa Feel Like A Real Place

7. Increase The Practical Effects

6. Give Sinestro His Due

5. The Other Corps...

4. ...And More Human Lanterns

3. Sinestro Corps War

2. The Right Supporting Cast

1. Parallax

SUPERMAN: Nathan Fillion On Why He's Perfectly Suited To Play GREEN LANTERN Guy Gardner

It Seems Aldis Hodge Wouldn't Mind Trading In HAWKMAN's Wings For A GREEN LANTERN Ring

GREEN LANTERN: Finn Wittrock Addresses Losing Guy Gardner Role After DC Studios Scrapped Planned Series

SUPERMAN: Nathan Fillion On Why He's Perfectly Suited To Play GREEN LANTERN Guy Gardner

GREEN LANTERN: James Gunn Addresses Decision To Scrap TV Show Revolving Around Alan Scott And Guy Gardner

GREEN LANTERN: Finn Wittrock Addresses Losing Guy Gardner Role After DC Studios Scrapped Planned Series

SUPERMAN: Nathan Fillion On Why He's Perfectly Suited To Play GREEN LANTERN Guy Gardner

GREEN LANTERN: James Gunn Addresses Decision To Scrap TV Show Revolving Around Alan Scott And Guy Gardner

It Seems Aldis Hodge Wouldn't Mind Trading In HAWKMAN's Wings For A GREEN LANTERN Ring

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