This is it.

So Green Lantern/Hal Jordan will be played by Ryan Reynolds, the same guy who played Deadpool in that instant classic Wolverine (ummmm…).  I’m not sure what to make of this.  I always thought of Hal as one of your more serious characters in the DC Universe, while I think of Ryan Reynolds as ever the smartass.  Hell, he may be good, you never know.  Geoff Johns says he’s pleased with it and he’s currently crafting GL’s world, if not reshaping the entire DCU.

I find it curious Green Lantern has been greenlighted, given Superman Returns didn’t live up to expectations (I liked it, and I have a fondness for Supes) and he’s the other DC Staple, the other of course being Batman.  Clearly we’ll have another Batman flick, and hopefully Christopher Nolan will be doing it (and all the rest, although Christian Bale has to stop that grunt-shout-spit thing he does as Bats).  But GL?  Not what you would call a mainstream character as far as the outside world goes, but maybe enough remember him from guest appearances in the Super Friends.  I wonder how they’ll work in the giant boxer’s glove that pops into my head when I think of the old GL cartoon appearances?  Some folk may be confused when John Stewart doesn’t show up in theaters as he did in the recent Justice League cartoons.  I don’t recall Hal Jordan in those, but maybe he made an appearance or two.

And Watchmen wasn’t the smash hit, either, was it?  I haven’t even seen it, and I own all the issues from when it first came out (yes, I’m that old – hell, I remember seeing the original Star Wars in the theater) as well as a well worn trade paperback copy.  I will buy it on Blu-Ray, though, no questions asked.  But with Watchmen you had characters no one knew, but a good story, and people didn’t flock to it.  Will GL suffer the same fate?  I guess from that perspective, having Ryan Reynolds as the star helps bring some of those outsiders in, and that’s good for Warner Bros.  Watchmen had fairly unknown actors which may have been good as far as not detracting from the story, but might not have been so good at drawing folks into the theaters.  I remember back when Terry Gilliam was supposed to direct it, they were talking Arnold Schwarzenegger playing Dr. Manhattan and Robert DeNiro as Nite Owl.  Hell, I think that still would’ve been cool, although I’d rather see Bobby D as The Comedian (imagine Cape Fear).

They must be banking on the current comic book turned movie = $ formula to continue in through to what I expect to be a 2011 release.  Hey, even if no one knows GL, you make a good story and throw in a decent enough budget to make it look good, people should give it a shot.  I will.  But, of course, have been reading these things on and off for what, over 30-35 years?  I still have boxes of the ones from my childhood, beaten to crap, drawn on, traced, torn, etc., but all well loved.  I learned eventually to buy them, read them, and seal them, but I still care more about the works than saving them.  I remember being excited about finding Moon Knight number 10 at a flea market and snatching it up.  I didn’t care it was missing its cover.  I was, admittedly, a little more excited to find at another flea market a mint condition Nexus B&W #3 for $1, and with the flexi-disc inside!  And if we’re making flicks with lesser known characters, why go for Nexus, my personal favorite?  And let’s go for James Robinson’s Starman, whose take is hip enough to translate well into a movie version attractive to people not familiar with the character (or line of characters).

Yep, I’m a geek.  And I hope this Green Lantern flick is good.