Of all the DC heroes that have ever appeared on the silver screen, arguably none has a worse reputation than Green Lantern. The character has only headlined one movie to date, and the less we say about that Ryan Reynolds-fronted abomination, the better. However, things certainly seem to be shaping up for the character. DC is currently set to get back into the Green Lantern business in 2020 when Green Lantern Corps finally debuts, and our faith in the project has gradually solidified as DC has announced new and exciting details in recent days. Green Lantern Corps does not have a director attached to helm the story just yet, but all of the updates on the project seem to point to one perfect candidate: Shane Black.
We knew Shane Black was the perfect choice for Green Lantern Corps the moment DC Entertainment described the fundamental structure of the upcoming superhero adventure: "Lethal Weapon in space." The overarching narrative of the film will center on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, and it will follow their "buddy cop" dynamic as they operate as Green Lanterns for Sector 2814. It would be easy to suggest that Shane Black is the perfect choice to helm Green Lantern Corps simply because he wrote the original Lethal Weapon (and that spec script has since gone on to become legendary in the film industry), but his qualifications run much deeper than that. Shane Black is THE buddy movie director in Hollywood. From Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang to The Nice Guys to even Iron Man 3, Black's best films have pretty much always relied on great buddy-cop dynamics between two mismatched protagonists. He knows how the formula works, and nobody does it better than him.
Shane Black's expertise with the buddy cop formula is something that the DCEU could use right now. Even at their darkest moments, Black's movies are utterly hilarious and show a strong tendency towards black (pun wholeheartedly intended) humor. With the DCEU always receiving criticism that it is too grim and somber for certain segments of the audiences, the classic Shane Black touch could be precisely what the silver screen DC movies need while still retaining their inherent darkness. After all, turning Hal Jordan and John Stewart into the Riggs and Murtaugh of the DCEU is a prospect that's simply too good to pass up.
Beyond Shane Black's clear affinity for buddy movie dynamics, we should also note the fact that he has clear experience with these types of heroes. Regardless of the polarizing nature of Iron Man 3's Mandarin twist, we cannot argue against Black's deft handling of the action sequences. The guy has a definite knack for framing superhero chaos on the silver screen, and he has even proven himself capable of handling huge numbers of aerial characters in a single combat sequence.
Need proof? Look not further than the climax of Iron Man 3:
Now imagine that scene in outer space, replace the Iron Man suits with Green Lanterns and try to contain your excitement. Iron Man 3's final battle scene was a perfect practice run for an even bigger Green Lantern Corps adventure, and we want to see what he's capable of on the DC side of the aisle.
Of course, that's just our take. What's yours? Is Shane Black a good choice for Green Lantern Corps, or do you have another filmmaker in mind? Let us know what you think in the comments section below so we can keep this conversation going!
Green Lantern Corps is currently slated to hit theaters on July 24, 2020.
