Josh Brolin Has Already Played 4 Comic Book Characters in Mainstream Movies Before the Green Lantern Rumor Took Hold
- At 56, Josh Brolin has played four major comic book characters with a potential fifth role as Hal Jordan in the upcoming Lanterns series.
- James Gunn, co-chief of DC Studios, is considering Brolin for Hal Jordan in Lanterns, part of his long-term plan for the new DC Universe.
- If Brolin declines, Gunn has other big-name candidates to fill the role and establish the Green Lantern lore.
At 56 years of age, Josh Brolin is hardly showing any signs of stopping. The actor has of late steadily made a mark in big-budget sci-fi and comic book adaptations. Earlier this year, he showcased a daunting screen presence in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, and perhaps that put him on the radar of James Gunn, who has reportedly come knocking with an offer for Lanterns.
Currently executing his long-term vision for a new DC Universe, there is no denying that Gunn has a keen eye for talent. As such, his perusal of the Marvel veteran could yield great results. However, no sooner did this speculation take shape than social media highlighted how the actor is picking up comic book movie roles like Infinity Stones.
Josh Brolin is no stranger to DC and is much more than just Thanos
Right at the turn of September, reports surfaced of Josh Brolin being offered the role of Hal Jordan, an iconic Green Lantern from the comics, for the new DC Universe’s upcoming live-action series, Lanterns. Interestingly, should the actor take this role, it would be his fifth straight live-action comic book character portrayal, as pointed out by a fan page on X (formerly Twitter).
Synonymous for his role as Thanos, Brolin has appeared as the noted purple titan in several MCU movies, as cameos, and as a full-scale antagonist in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame along with voicing the same character in 2021’s What If…? However, his Marvel love stretched further with his portrayal of the time-traveling mutant, Cable in Deadpool 2.
On a lesser-known note, his appearance as a young Agent K in 2012’s Men In Black 3 alongside Will Smith is also a comic book movie role, based on publications by Aircel Comics, which was later acquired by Marvel. Finally, in 2010, Josh Brolin also played DC’s Jonah Hex in a movie of the same name. Additionally, his roles as Dwight McCarthy in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and Joe Doucett in Oldboy are also based on a comic and manga, respectively.
James Gunn has alternatives to Josh Brolin for Lanterns
Not long after taking over as the new DC co-chief, James Gunn announced that he had already chalked out a 10-year roadmap with plans to release two movies and two TV series every year. Of the latter two, one will be Lanterns that will follow two Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan and John Stewart, working to solve dark mysteries on Earth.
A report by Jeff Sneider’s newsletter claimed that if Josh Brolin decides against taking the role, Gunn would still have Interstellar’s Matthew McConaughey and Star Wars actor Ewan McGregor as his next options.
