And the new Green Lantern is. . . .

. . . Ryan Reynolds. And he's perfect.



The Green Lantern, a product of DC Comics (think Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc.), is set to release as a movie in 2011, with filming beginning in November. No huge names in production, however; the director, Martin Campbell, is most notable only for his Zorro movies, and the head writers aren't that famous either. One writer did about three episodes of Heroes while the other sees his most famous work in teen soaps such as Dawnson's Creek. One can only hope since these guys are relative newcomers to blockbusters films, let alone superhero films, they won't follow the tendencies of most crappy superhero films. Need I remind you of Spiderman and X-Men sequels, the Dare Devil, and -- gulp -- the infamous Batman Forever, which featured nipples on the Batsuit?

Word around the Geekdom street is Reynolds beat out actors Bradley Cooper and Jared Leto for the role, as well as -- get this -- Justin Timberlake. A wise decision, casting directors, because D.C. is only barely beginning to earn back its street cred after Batman Forever, and it would never recover if freaking JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE were the lead in an action movie.

I also assert Reynolds is a wise decision for three powerful reasons:

A) HE ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE THE CHARACTER HE'S SUPPOSED TO PLAY
This is the most important reason, I think. Much as I cherish the Batman movies for their cheesiness, they all suck mostly because there has NEVER been an actor cast for the role who actually resembles Bruce Wayne. Never. It's like the casting directors just picked their celebrity crushes with George Clooney, Christian Bale, Val Kilmer instead of actually matching the drawing with a dude who looks like him.

Reynolds LOOKS LIKE Hal Jordan, almost so much so it's scary. Perhaps more importantly, Reynolds has Jordan's vibe. Despite being called a racist in the 1970s, the Green Lantern has to be an inherently nice guy, and Reynolds has that attitude. Whereas Batman's never found his brooding but dominating presence onscreen in the live-action films, Ryan Reynolds has the ability to translate the Green Lantern in a big-budget film. (Granted, GL is nowhere near as complicated a character as Batman, but whatevs.)

B) HE'S NOT A DOUCHE
I can't think of a fan base that would reject Ryan Reynolds. The dude has done horror (The Amityville Horror ), sitcoms (guest starring roles and Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place), rom coms (Just Friends and The Proposal), and more teen movies than can be counted. More importantly, he already has experience in the superhero genre since he's Deadpool in two X-Men: Origins movies, one of which stars Deadpool himself.

My point? He has crossover appeal. Guys who grew up with him in teen movies in the late nineties are now in the perfect age group to appreciate him in a leading man role. Moreover, more chicks might like him than dudes, because of his work in successful (by monetary standards) romantic comedies and the fact that he's, well, Prince Charming.

C) HE'S CANADIAN

Hey, I'm half-Canadian, so I'm always cheering for Canadians. Let me have my moment. Plus, a Canadian scoring a big role is like an underdog rising through the ranks.

The Canadian government controls its media, but not in the way China or Iran does. Instead, it forces regulations on media outlets to assure enough "Canadian content" fits each quota. While "Canadian content" is loosely defined, I don't think a Hollywood-made movie would make the cut. Still, Reynolds is sure to become a Canadian media darling while promoting his movie, and he'd get more exposure if he -- a Canadian -- went on a Canadian talk show. More exposure means more publicity means more audiences attend a D.C. Comics movie. Life is good.