Green Lantern Greenlit?

With the Batman film franchise completely reinvigorated and Superman, well, we won’t talk about Superman, Green Lantern could be the next DC Comics hero to hit the big screen. 

 Variety reports the project is moving forward with director Martin Campbell  (pictured here) at the helm.  Campbell directed Casino Royale and two Zorro films. Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Michael Green penned the script for the GL adaptation. Green Lantern is one of DC’s “legacy” heroes. While with brief exceptions, Superman has always been Clark Kent and Batman has always been Bruce Wayne, many men have held the title and powers of Green Lantern.

Image: Bauer Griffin

This movie will tell the story of test pilot Hal Jordan, who is summoned to become the Green Lantern because he is a “man without fear.” Green Lantern has had the most checkered crimefighting career of any superhero in the business. In a controversial 1990s storyline, Jordan’s home Coast City was destroyed. That never happens to heroes. Picture watching an episode of Smallville that begins with Metropolis getting blown off the map.

Jordan subsequently went insane and during his attempts to go back in time and save Coast City, would actually end up becoming the arch nemesis of his successor. Jordan and new GL Kyle Rayner would battle until Jordan’s death, while fans of the two characters are battling on message boards to this day.

Geoff Johns, who wrote the Legion of Superheroes’ recent Smallville appearance, drew the difficult task of resurrecting and exonerating Hal Jordan. I won’t get into the complex details here, but suffice it to say that Jordan was determined to have been possessed when he did everything the 90s story said he did.