DC is expanding its Cinematic Universe with next year's "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Suicide Squad." As a result, its roster of characters will grow considerably in advance of the scheduled "Justice League" films.
For a while now, David Ramsey of "Arrow" has been rumored to be John Stewart, one of Earth's Green Lanterns and a central figure in the Justice League. The character is virtually guaranteed to show up in the DCCU at some point, though Ramsey may have competition for the role.
Actor/rapper Common was cast as Green Lantern back in 2007 when director George Miller ("Mad Max") was gearing up for a go around with the character but the project was scrapped thanks to the writer's strike. Since then, Common has honed his acting craft with roles in "Selma" and AMC's "Hell on Wheels" and apparently still wants to bring Stewart to the bring screen.
"I would love to be John Stewart and play Green Lantern," he told ScreenRant.com. "That was one of those things where I was so excited because we rarely see African-American superheroes or people of color as a superhero. I think it would be great for the world to see, and for people to see, and for Hollywood to put that out there, too. But just for the world to see, just for kids to be able to see, for all nationalities to see a person of color as a superhero, too.
"Plus, it's just for the fun. Even the pre-production of getting the 'go' and studying Green Lantern. John Stewart is from Detroit, so he was this guy that was really for the community, and I really related to that. He used his powers to help people in the community. I was like, 'Man, I'm going to be John Stewart, the Green Lantern!' Unfortunately, it didn't happen at that time. But maybe the possibility is that it could. I would love to."
After the poor critical and financial performance of 2011's "Green Lantern" starring Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, going with a Stewart-centric storyline may be the best course of action. Though Jordan is arguably the more well known Green Lantern, Stewart's turn on the animated "Justice League" series from the early 2000s popularized him among younger fans. Director Zack Snyder will have an interesting decision on his hands should he opt to go that route.
