Ryan Reynolds is known for being one of the funniest men on show business, and over the years, he has also proven himself to be a bankable star on the big screen. Thanks to his foray into hit films like the Netflix Original 6 Underground, he has been making fans around the world while hauling in millions. As if his time in movies wasn’t funny enough, he’s also nothing short of brilliant on Twitter.
Despite all of the success that he's had, Reynolds has also had some duds, including Green Lantern for DC. The film is forgettable at best, and Reynolds himself has been more than willing to take shots at the movie over the years. While he moved on and did well for himself, Green Lantern will always be a huge smudge.
So, does Ryan Reynolds still hate this movie? Let’s take it back to the beginning and see it all play out!
Green Lantern Bombs
Back in 2011, superhero movies were starting to reach another level of success, and every studio in the business was looking to make bank with one. Ryan Reynolds was tapped to play Hal Jordan in Green Lantern, but instead of riches, the studio was saddled with a movie that disappointed.
The hype was there for a film about Green Lantern, as he is one of the most famous heroes in all of DC. Reynolds had box office success in the past, and his ability to pack the laughs in a film was seen as a great fit for the character. Despite what many saw as a great opportunity for all involved, this film would not meet expectations.
Once the film was released into theaters, it only managed to gross $219 million. For a superhero movie, this is a modest gross, and given that it was not attached to a particular film universe, it looked like a flop of a standalone film.
Not only did the film not make a lot of money, but it also took a lashing from critics and fans alike. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film is sitting at 26% with critics and just 45% for audience members. Yeah, it was bad.
The film’s failure was a reminder that nothing is guaranteed in Hollywood. Reynolds, thankfully, would rebound, and he would get a chance to get his superhero film redemption a few years later.
Reynolds Gets His Redemption With Deadpool
Even though Green Lantern was a flop, Ryan Reynolds was still a star that was set on starring in a successful superhero movie. In 2016, everything would fall into place for the actor when he was given the green light on Deadpool.
Now, Reynolds had played the character before, but that particular movie was terrible and the take on the character was as bad as it gets. Fox was more than happy to let Reynolds get creative with his movie, and the results were better than anticipated.
The film was given an R rating, and this was just what the doctor ordered for superhero film fans. Deadpool would hit theaters in 2016 and go on to gross over $782 million at the box office. The monumental success of the film made the character more popular than he had ever been, and Reynolds was now on an entirely new level of fame.
Eventually, Deadpool 2 would be released into theaters with the hopes that it could be a massive moneymaker like its predecessor. That film would also cross the $700 million mark, according to Box Office Mojo, showing that the character had staying power.
Ryan Reynolds was a perfect fit for Deadpool, and he took the character to another level. This was a far cry from what had happened with Green Lantern, and it was great to see him on top. Despite the success, Reynolds still felt some type of way about his failed DC flick.
How He’s Feeling About It Now
Ryan Reynolds was now firmly one of the biggest superhero actors on the planet after turning Deadpool into a household name. Nevertheless, the sting of Green Lantern stayed with him, and he would be rather vocal about his feelings towards the film.
When speaking with EW, Ryan Reynolds would open up about Green Lantern, saying, “With Green Lantern, I don't think anyone ever figured out exactly what it was. That isn't to say the hundreds of men and women didn't work their fingers to the bone to make it as good as possible. It also fell victim to the process in Hollywood which is like poster first, release date second, script last.”
Recently, Reynolds released the Reynolds Cut of Green Lantern, which was a deleted scene from Deadpool 2 in which Deadpool stops Ryan Reynolds from taking the role of Green Lantern, according to Polygon.
Ryan Reynolds is still on top in Hollywood, and if he gets to do Deadpool 3, then he’s going out with a bang. Nevertheless, he will always still hate Green Lantern just a little bit.