Ryan Reynolds Needs to Let Go of his Green Lantern Hate | Opinion

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In 2011, DC/WB was hoping to play the catch-up game with rival Marvel, who successfully built a comic book franchise. DC was riding high with the success of their Dark Knight films and hoped to release solo films for each of the founding members of the Justice League.  Here comes Ryan Reynolds’ The Green Lantern film.  The film had garnered much anticipation as Reynolds had solidified himself as a star.  Everyone was excited, including myself and even Ryan Reynolds.

I personally did a closet cosplay to go to a midnight screening of the film. I will now share the embarrassing photo I took in my bathroom that night.

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Oh, to be young again.

The film ended up being a box office disaster, and Ryan Reynolds took a major hit to his growing popularity. Also, the hero and the universe I’ve loved since I was a kid became a joke. The movie is awful. Even I can admit that, but the film’s downfall was a rushed script and bad CGI. The casting was, at the time, perfect. The ideas they tried to accomplished would have worked if there was a better script. Reynolds and Lively had amazing chemistry.  The film was not all bad! So why, after eleven years, can Ryan Reynolds not see all the good the film personally brought to him?

In a recent article, the former Green Lantern was quoted as calling the film “the darkest crease in the anus of the universe.” In that same article, he credits the film for being how he met his now-wife, Blake Lively.

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I understand that Ryan is an amusing man but hasn’t he shit-talked the movie enough?  Over the past 10 years, the actor has taken shot after shot at the film in interviews and his own films. Yes, he’s trying to be funny. He has also hurt a comic book hero’s chance at being taken seriously and at a proper franchise. Think about it? When Batman was bad, they rebooted. Superman, reboot. Spider-man, you guessed it, reboot. The green lantern has been in Hollywood limbo until recently with HBO’s The Green Lantern Corps Series.  Before that, there was a short-lived animated series (actually amazing) and two DC animated films.  Maybe there could have been more if someone wasn’t on a mission to slander the character.

Let’s look at the many times Ryan Reynolds talks shit about his infamous role.

Deadpool 2 

In Deadpool 2, he goes back in time to stop “himself” from accepting the role as the Green Lantern.  A funny gag, but again that’s how you met your wife, who gave you wonderful kids, and it’s how you met Taika Waititi.

Ryan Live Tweeting While Watching the Film for the “First” Time.

A few months ago, Ryan live-tweeted while allegedly watching The Green Lantern for the first time. A lot of the tweets were hilarious, but why now? Also, if he never watched the film, how could he have rated the film on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen 5 years ago?

Ryan was on WWHL 5 Years Ago. 

Host Andy Cohen plays plead the fifth with Ryan Reynolds, which means Ryan can choose not to answer a question. He not only answered but changed it twice. But we thought he never watched it?

Deadpool Trailer 

In the trailer for Deadpool, the merc with a mouth jokes about not making his suit green or animated. Because…you know…it was in Green Lantern.

Ryan with Stephen Colbert 

In this clip, Ryan is on Stephen Colbert’s late-night show. Colbert jokes about wanting to have the power of the Green Lantern. Reynolds’ reply: “that’s a dumb superpower.” Sure, that’s what I’d call being able to summon any weapon or tool at will. 

There are far too many examples than I have time for, but these are the ones that stick out in my memory.

I do understand that Ryan Reynolds is trying to keep himself from being the butt of the joke. After all, whenever anyone jokes or roasts him, they bring up the Green Lantern. As if that’s the ONLY bad film he’s been in.  *cough cough Blade Trinity cough cough* 

Mr. Reynolds, after 10 years, it is time to let it go. The movie was bad, but you were actually good in it. Also, for the franchise to have any hope of being taken seriously, fans will look to you for a blessing.  In my own Dreamcast of The Green Lantern Corps, I suggested that Ryan should voice Ch’p.  It not only allows for the franchise to do right by Reynolds but for Reynolds to do right by it.

The Green Lanterns mean a lot to fans everywhere, and they are important to the DCEU! The Lanterns remind us that emotions are not weaknesses but that they give us strength. Suppose you continue to be as you are that you can be chosen for greatness. You don’t need to be born rich or an alien, experimented on or hit by lightning to be special; you have to be you.  Good or bad, you are extraordinary.

Please understand, I’m not a hater of the good-looking actor. He’s extremely talented, funny, and you can see how much he adores his wife and children. Also, no other actor could play Deadpool. I’m glad to see he is officially interacting with the MCU. Now we can finally see him annoy Spider-Man.

Don’t forget to check out Ryan Reynold’s latest film Free Guy which opens in U.S. theaters on August 13, 2021.


About Yali Perez

When she's not writing about pop culture for Fandom Spotlite, curating social media for the*gameHERS, or helping to produce the DB4L podcast, she is a single mom to the coolest kid in the world. In Yali's free time she likes to bake, exercise, watch horror films, and play Mario Kart. Yali's goal as a writer is to share her nontraditional and colorful view of the world with readers everywhere.

View all posts by Yali Perez

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