Based on nothing, a shortlist of six actors has emerged for the part of Hal Jordan in Warner Bros.' Green Lantern Corps. The shortlist is actually surprisingly similar to our own poll on "Who Should Play Hal Jordan?", so pardon me if I regard this new rumor as little more than a wishlist or free publicity for the actors who occupy it.

Here's a look at the lucky few as reported by The Wrap:

  • Tom Cruise (54)
  • Ryan Reynolds (40)
  • Jake Gyllenhaal (36)
  • Armie Hammer (30)
  • Bradley Cooper (42)
  • Joel McHale (45)

Now, a couple of things should jump out at you. First, the age of the actors on the shortlist. This reboot has been described as “Lethal Weapon in space” and will focus on Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Lethal Weapon famously paired a young, brash, suicidal cop (Mel Gibson, roughly 30 at the time) with a veteran detective who was feeling his age (Danny Glover, roughly 40 at the time). If Hal Jordan is supposed to be the Martin Riggs (Gibson) part of this equation, then Gyllenhaal and Hammer make the most sense. If Green Lantern Corps is going to flip the script and bring a young John Stewart in under the experienced Jordan, then Cruise makes a strange kind of sense in a mentor role. I wouldn't hold my breath, though.

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Image via Warner Bros.

The second thing on this list that should grab your eyeballs is Reynolds' name. He infamously played Hal Jordan in the 2011 attempt Green Lantern, which was (and remains) panned by critical and fan circles. Obviously Reynolds has done quite well for himself after tragic attempts to play superheroes in the past, with Green Lantern and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, thanks to the success of Deadpool. I can't imagine Reynolds would return to wield the power ring unless it's under some sort of contractual obligation or promise of an unprecedented financial deal. In fact, Reynolds would have jumped ship for Deadpool before signing on for Green Lantern if Fox had decided to greenlight the Merc with the Mouth movie back in 2010.

Keep in mind that casting is in early stages, no talks are currently underway, and the initial report lacks any substance other than a rundown of potential names and multiple unnamed sources.

David S. Goyer and Justin Rhodes are writing the script, with Goyer also producing alongside executive producers Geoff Johns and Jon Berg. Look for Green Lantern Corps to premiere in 2020.

For more on Green Lantern Corps, be sure to check out some of our recent write-ups provided at the links below:

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