Though you may not know it, 2011’s Green Lantern was actually intended to be the jumping point for the DC Extended Universe. But when it failed to resonate with critics and general moviegoers, the honor was passed on to Man of Steel. As such, Hollywood has been decidedly light on ringslingers in the time since.
Had history played out differently though, then a sequel would’ve likely dropped in 2013 and Ryan Reynolds may never have gone on to star in the Deadpool flicks. Actually, I’m sure he’s much more comfortable as the Merc with a Mouth and, fortunately, a former co-star of his has also landed on their feet. As fate would have it, Mark Strong has scored another gig in a DC film, this time playing the villainous Doctor Sivana in the upcoming blockbuster Shazam!
Still, it sounds like Strong wishes he had it both ways, lamenting never getting to play Sinestro for a second time when doing press for his latest comic book movie.
“I loved Sinestro because I always thought if we can really manifest that guy, a look for that guy as he is in the comics, that would just be insane. I love the fact that he looked the way he did, and I really enjoyed it, and it was such a shame to me that movie didn’t kick in, you know, because I thought that part was great.”
For its faults, I must admit that Green Lantern‘s portrayal of Sinestro was pretty spot on and I, too, remain bummed that Strong was never able to flesh out his story in subsequent sequels. In my view, he was the perfect actor to be selected for the role and embodied what I’d come to know on the printed page. Martin Campbell’s film merely set the stage of what was to be a downward spiral of epic proportions, not to mention the prospective formation of the Sinestro Corps.
Of course, if that Green Lantern Corps movie we’ve been hearing about off and on ever does see the light of day, my gut tells me that the Red Lantern Corps or something comparable will handle antagonistic duties. It’s a damn shame that we’ll likely never see the fall of Sinestro on celluloid, sure, but that’s just how the cookie crumbles sometimes.