Josh Brolin Passed on Green Lantern, but Another DCEU Actor Is Perfect for the Role

The upcoming TV show Lanterns is set to introduce audiences to the versions of Hal Jordan and John Stewart in James Gunn’s new DC Universe. This will be a wholesale reboot of the previous films and shows, with almost all of the major DC heroes recast from previous works. The casting for Hal Jordan is still up in the air, but the DCU could feature the perfect “Highball” with a former DC movie actor.

Josh Brolin was potentially going to take the Green Lantern role, which proved controversial among many fans. Now, the actor has passed on the character of Hal, leaving it open for others to take. This suggests that the DC Universe will actually do Hal and the broader Green Lantern mythos justice, and casting a certain Star Trek actor as Hal Jordan could help make that happen.

Why Josh Brolin Wouldn’t Work as Hal Jordan

As noted, Thanos and Cable actor Josh Brolin has passed on the role of Hal Jordan in the DC Universe show Lanterns, which is something that many fans are actually relieved about. When this potential casting choice was announced, many were confused, while others worried over the potential narrative implications. Given the actor’s age, it seemed that the casting was going to characterize Hal as much older than he’s normally portrayed as being. If that was the case, it would likely have been in order to kill him off and make way for other Green Lanterns. This is controversial for several reasons, as it was already contentious when Hal became evil in the comics in the “Emerald Twilight” storyline.

Likewise, doing the same to prop up John Stewart (all while stealing narrative elements from Kyle Rayner) in the animated film Green Lantern: Beware My Power was one of several issues with that movie. While Brolin can certainly act, his usually gruff demeanor seemed a bit too harsh and cold to play Hal Jordan. While making Hal too young and having him as a rookie might repeat some of the story in the failed 2011 Green Lantern movie, going too far in the opposite direction is also problematic. It illustrates how, despite some fans calling him “bland,” Hal Jordan’s character has several layers that have to be properly adapted, and this simply wouldn’t be possible with Josh Brolin.

Hal Jordan’s Character Is a Delicate Balancing Act of Charisma and Experience

Hal Jordan is actually one of the most vibrant Green Lanterns, with his personality being essentially spread across the other human members of the Green Lantern Corps. Compared to the liberal loudmouth Green Arrow, Hal might come off as stodgy or stuck-up. This is due to how seriously he takes his job, which is essentially the role of a “space cop.” At the same time, Hal’s personality is that of a cowboy, with the Coast City resident casually conquering fear and flying into danger. He’s a big jock in space, which is why his Lantern ring constructs include giant boxing gloves, baseball bats and jets, the latter of which reflects his usual occupation. Conversely, while he’s usually a test pilot for Ferris Aircraft, Hal has had several careers, owing to his seeming instability in his personal life.

Hal is looked up to by many members of the Green Lantern Corps, but he’s never one to turn down fun, especially if the Coast City Angels have a home game to catch. He has to be old enough to seem deservedly self-assured while still being young enough to be organically fun. While he should mentor newcomers to the Corps such as Simon Baz or Jessica Cruz, he should never be seen in the light of an elder statesman such as Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern. There’s also the undeniable charm and sex appeal of the character, so having him look like someone’s grandfather (even with the gray streaks of Parallax) isn’t true to his nature.

This DCEU Actor Is Perfect for the Role of Green Lantern

Ironically, another former superhero and science fiction actor might be a much better cast for Hal Jordan in the DCU. Chris Pine was in both Marvel and DC superhero movies, and he has the chops and charm to bring Hal Jordan to life. In the case of Marvel, he voiced a version of Spider-Man in the animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, whereas in live-action, he played Wonder Woman’s classic love interest Steve Trevor in the DC Extended Universe Wonder Woman movies. Steve was even a pilot, making the similarities to Hal even stronger. Beyond superhero movies, he’s also most notable for playing Captain James T. Kirk in the Kelvin timeline Star Trek movies.

As shown in his previous films (namely Star Trek), Chris Pine is perfect to play Hal Jordan. He can definitely showcase a cocky, almost abrasive side that’s charismatic enough to not be arrogant, having fun all the way as he laughs in the face of danger. Conversely, he can also do more serious scenes, which are needed for when things really take a turn for the worse in Sector 2814. Pine isn’t an “old” actor, but he’s also old enough to believably have some experience under his belt and in his ring. Interestingly enough, some have even pointed out that Hal has been drawn to resemble Pine in certain comics, namely the Green Lantern: Earth One books. Given this pre-existing precedent and the popularity of Pine as an actor, it seems like something that should be an easy win for the DCU.

A Slightly Older Hal Jordan Makes Some Sense

While having Hal Jordan too old opens up a few issues for the ongoing DC Universe movies and TV shows, the character shouldn’t be a newcomer, either. Hal doesn’t need to have his origin retold, and if he’s been a Green Lantern for a few years, it adds to the sense of legacy that’s supposed to be strong in the DCU. After all, James Gunn’s Superman movie isn’t an origin story, with David Corenswet’s Superman having worn the cape for a few years by the time of the film’s events. The rest of the DCU projects will likely do the same thing, showcasing heroes who, while not in their twilight, are already established.

This might especially be the case with The Flash, and it’s possible that the DCU will skip focusing on Barry Allen and instead showcase his successor, Wally West. If Wally is The Flash, then Hal needs to be the main Green Lantern in the DCU. This would help to explain why, in the 2025 Superman movie, Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner is a bit older, as he’s usually the temporary replacement for Hal. In fact, Hal commenting on Wally’s “stepping up” and making Barry proud would be a good way to showcase the passage of time without doing so across over a decade of movies and shows.

Someone like Chris Pine is once again a good choice, as he has experience without being too old. Most importantly, it would allow for Hal to have interacted with villains such as Sinestro and establish himself as the greatest Green Lantern. With this in place, newcomers such as Jessica Cruz would come along and respect Hal in the same way that the rest of the Green Lantern Corps and the audience do. The jury is still out on who will portray Hal Jordan in the DC Universe, but if an actor like Chris Pine makes the cut, it will certainly help to erase the stain of the previous film.