Zack Snyder Considered Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern For Justice League
In an interview with Wonder Meg on YouTube, Zack Snyder said he had considered including Ryan Reynolds' version of Green Lantern in "Justice League" director's cut, which premiered on Max in March 2021. The controversial DC Extended Universe godfather shared that he admires Reynolds' willingness to have fun with his characters and was appreciative of the actor's support during the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign.
Unfortunately, despite Snyder's enthusiasm, the idea never materialized beyond his own interest, with the writer-director admitting, "We never really talked." Speaking carefully and pragmatically, he explained in vague terms that the concept was to have two Green Lanterns on-screen to suggest contextually that a full-fledged Green Lantern Corps exists in this universe.
Snyder did ultimately get two Green Lanterns in his "Justice League" cut, though neither one is Reynolds' Hal Jordan. In a distant flashback sequence to Apokolips' first invasion of Earth, Green Lantern Yalan Gur is shown fighting on the side of deities defending the planet; later, in the grim "Knightmare" apocalyptic future, the recognizable corpse of Kilowag can be seen among the carnage. While die-hard "Green Lantern" fans may have been excited about these niche cameos, the film's original ending would have apparently blown them out of the water.
Snyder wanted John Stewart to appear as well
After Zack Snyder's "Justice League" was released, the director spoke to Vanity Fair about one of the film's most shocking moments: the reveal that Harry Lennix's General Swanwick has been the Martian Manhunter all along. The final scene of the new version of the film features the classic DC Comics hero and Justice League member arriving at Bruce Wayne's (Ben Affleck) doorstep ready to join his cause.
Snyder's original vision for the ending, however, was to introduce an entirely new character: Green Lantern John Stewart. As the director himself recalled, he pitched the idea to Warner Bros. but was quickly denied due to the studio's future plans for the character.
Though it may be disappointing that we saw neither John Stewart nor any iteration of Hal Jordan — Ryan Reynolds or otherwise — in the Snyderverse, "Green Lantern" fans can at least look forward to the upcoming "Lanterns" series, which is slated to feature both characters. It will premiere as part of the new DC Studios lineup (titled "Gods and Monsters") on Max.