The Green Lantern series has been in development for quite some time now but with showrunner Seth Grahame-Smith gearing up to bring this iconic DC Comics property to HBO Max, one of its stars is feeling pumped.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Finn Wittrock opened up about being cast in the live-action series. Wittrock will play Guy Gardner, one of the many members of the Green Lantern Corps who is described as “a hulking mass of masculinity, and, as rendered in the comics, an embodiment of 1980s hyper-patriotism. And yet, Guy is somehow likable.”
While he is excited to take on the role, Wittrock admits this came out of nowhere for him, but he’s taking his preparation seriously: “This one did kind of fall from the sky. It’s really exciting for me. I’m considering myself a student of the comic book universe right now.”
Wittrock teased the upcoming series and said fans aren’t prepared for this type of story: “It is really cool how sprawling a storyline it is. It’s pretty epic. It spans time and space and has something for everyone. It’s not your average superhero story.”
The actor also does note the polarizing nature of the character but says fans will still enjoy his turn. “[Guy] takes on a lot of this show. He’s a pretty big part of it. I think it’s an interesting way in [to the story]. It’s not the conventional way in, but I think people might see a side of him they didn’t know was there.”
“Green Lantern reinvents the classic DC property through a story spanning decades and galaxies, beginning on Earth in 1941 with the very first Green Lantern, secretly gay FBI agent Alan Scott, and 1984, with cocky alpha male Guy Gardner and half-alien Bree Jarta. They’ll be joined by a multitude of other Lanterns — from comic book favorites to never-before-seen heroes.”
Greg Berlanti, Seth Grahame-Smith, and Marc Guggenheim all serve as writers on the series. Berlanti will executive produce, while Grahame-Smith will serve as Green Lantern’s showrunner. Featuring in the cast are Jeremy Irvine (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) as Alan Scott and Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story) as Guy Gardner.