How has DC managed to drop the ball so much with an IP as rich and ripe with potential as Green Lantern? Following 2011’s Ryan Reynolds-starring flop, Warner Bros. never managed to get another version of the GL Corps on our screens, but not for lack of trying. Thankfully, after movies and TV shows helmed by everyone from Christopher McQuarrie to Seth Grahame-Smith came and went, James Gunn is finally giving us a Lanterns TV series, on its way to Max, as part of his shiny, new DCU.
Not much is known about the show to date, but we know it will focus on legendary Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart. It’s anyone’s guess who could replace Reynolds as Jordan, but one fan-favorite contender has thrown their name into the ring to play Stewart. Here’s the thing, though: if Marvel wants to unleash its inner Sinestro and steal a sneaky win from its rebooted rival, then the MCU should swoop in and cast this guy as its own answer to Green Lantern. Namely, Nova.
Aldis Hodge wants to be James Gunn’s Green Lantern, but he should be the MCU’s instead
Yes, Black Adam star Aldis Hodge is unlikely to get the chance to reprise his role as Hawkman again, as Dwayne Johnson’s corner of the defunct DCEU will definitely not be folded into Gunn’s plans, but he has made it known that he’s very up for playing Stewart instead. While speaking to ComicBook.com, Hodge reminded us that he’s been portraying the part in animation for years now, voicing the character since 2022’s Green Lantern: Beware My Power movie. So to hop over to live-action would be a literal dream come true. “I mean, that was one of my dreams growing up was to be John Stewart in live action. So yeah,” he admitted.
Unfortunately for Hodge, Gunn seems to be averse to doubling up on those already playing DC heroes in animation. For example, Hodge’s co-star in the animated Tomorrowverse, Meg Donnelly, came close to landing the live-action Supergirl but ultimately lost out to Milly Alcock. So maybe the star should be open to switching multiverses and helping Marvel out with its most plagued upcoming streaming project. The hook? Nova would basically be the MCU’s own Green Lantern.
Richard Rider’s origins, as a regular human who is chosen by the Nova Force and becomes a cosmic policeman, is pretty much beat for beat a match for DC’s GL. Unfortunately, the Green Lantern curse seems to have spread to Marvel, too, as a Nova project has been on the back-burner at the House of Ideas for years now. Rumors abound that there’s either a miniseries or special stuck in development hell. Maybe Hodge could be the one to help it finally break free and onto Disney Plus.
Hodge might be mostly a DC boy, but this is the guy who started a campaign to play Black Panther way back in 2012. Something tells me he wouldn’t take too much tempting to come over to the Marvel side. Kevin Feige, do us all a favor and give this man a (power) ring.
