When it comes to their cinematic Justice League, Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment have united six out of the presumed seven heroes that will be part of the team. Superman (Henry Cavill), Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), the Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) have all been cast, and a majority of them (if not all) will appear in this month's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice in some capacity.
That leaves Green Lantern as the odd hero out for the time being. The studio has a Green Lantern Corps. film planned for release in 2020, but so far not much is known about their plans for the character. Rumors about who might bring one of the Lanterns to life pop up every now and then, but nothing concrete has been announced yet. There could be an explanation for why this is; WB still isn't sure when exactly in the DCEU slate Green Lantern will first show up.
In their Batman V Superman coverage, EW had some updates about a possible timeline for the new Green Lantern. According to producer Charles Roven, they are still trying to iron all the details out. From the sound of it, fans won't get to see him until Justice League Part 2 in 2019, or perhaps a movie after that:
“Every beat of the movie is not yet worked out. So there’s the possibility that he may or may not be in Justice League 2. For now, we felt that we were introducing enough characters that the best possible place we could put Green Lantern is some introduction in Justice League 2, or barring that, a movie after.”
This development will surely be disappointing for those hoping to see Hal Jordan, John Stewart, or any other Lantern join up with the other Justice League members when the first team-up film hits theaters in 2017. However, there are a few good reasons for holding back. Justice League Part 1 will have a lot on its plate, as it will serve as the first meaty big screen roles for Aquaman, Cyborg, and the Flash before those heroes get their own solo vehicles. Setting up those characters will be paramount, in addition to furthering the development of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Instead of spreading the screen time too thin, it's arguably better to wait until Justice League 2 and bring in Green Lantern once everybody else has been established and fleshed out.
Also, director Zack Snyder reportedly will begin production on the first Justice League in April 2016 and is already sharing behind-the-scenes photos of pre-production. With principal photography commencing soon, there's reason to believe that Green Lantern will not be a part of that film. The role is so important to the Justice League that if it had been cast, it probably would have been news by now. For what it's worth, Momoa, Miller, and Fisher all came on board early in the process. In all likelihood, Dan Amboyer's mystery role in Batman V Superman isn't Hal Jordan.
WB understands that a lack of Green Lantern in the first live-action Justice League movie is frustrating, but they stress that they have the best intentions. They're taking their time because they want to do the character justice, after the previous attempt in 2011 failed horribly. Said president of creative development and worldwide production Greg Silverman:
“[Green Lantern] is an incredible character. He’s actually multiple incredible characters. There’s real opportunity there. We didn’t do a great job on that first Green Lantern movie. This is a character who deserves to be treated in the same way that Batman and Superman and Wonder Woman are being treated now, which is with great reverence. I guess I can say to the Green Lantern fans: if they can be patient with us, I think they’ll be really happy.”
Obviously, this isn't necessarily what fans of Green Lantern want to hear at this juncture, but it's better is WB doesn't rush anything. They know that Green Lantern Corps. represents the second (and final) shot of turning that property into a viable film franchise. Should the reboot be a critical dud or financial flop, they won't be giving the Lanterns any more chances to shine on the big screen, perhaps relegating the character(s) to a supporting role like Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whenever moviegoers see the new Green Lantern, hopefully it will be worth the wait and deliver a grand cinematic experience.
NEXT: Batman V Superman Sees Justice League 'Standing Together'
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice opens on March 25, 2016, which is followed by Suicide Squad on August 5, 2016; Wonder Woman on June 23, 2017; Justice League Part One on November 17, 2017; The Flash on March 16, 2018; Aquaman on July 27, 2018; Shazam on April 5, 2019; Justice League Part Two on June 14, 2019; Cyborg on April 3, 2020; and then Green Lantern Corps. on June 19, 2020.
Source: EW