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Before rising to fame as Deadpool, a role he seemed destined for, Ryan Reynolds took on the character of Hal Jordan, the most iconic member of the Green Lantern Corps.
Initially, fans were excited about the film, but it quickly became clear after its release that it would be remembered for entirely different reasons.
Green Lantern faced numerous issues, with a storyline that lacked depth and failed to effectively introduce Hal Jordan’s transformation into a hero. The film was overly ambitious and overcrowded for an origin story, attempting to juggle Jordan’s character arc alongside cosmic elements like the Green Lantern Corps and the villain, Parallax, resulting in a generic and unfocused plot.
The movie also relied too heavily on CGI, which quickly became dated. The visual effects, especially Ryan Reynolds’ fully CGI suit, were often criticized for looking cartoonish and distracting. This has since become a long-running joke within the fan community—something Reynolds himself frequently references.
In fact, Reynolds can’t seem to resist poking fun at the movie. Recently, he released “The Reynolds Cut” of Green Lantern on social media, a playful nod to the fan-favorite “Snyder Cut” of Justice League, which many believe greatly improved that film.
In Reynolds’ case, his cut also managed to improve Green Lantern—in its own way.
The re-cut of Green Lantern kicks off with the Deadpool 2 post-credits scene, where Deadpool hilariously stops Ryan Reynolds from accepting the Green Lantern role. It then condenses the entire film into four quick scenes: Green Lantern’s father dies, he becomes a pilot, gets the ring, and defeats Parallax.
In a surprising twist, Tom Cruise makes an appearance as Green Lantern at the end. The re-cut even features a post-credits scene where Green Lantern meets the Justice League before flying away.
A definite improvement all around. What are your thoughts on the Reynolds Cut of Green Lantern? Share them in the comments below!