In the great comic book cosmos, there are heroes, anti-heroes, and then there is Ryan Reynolds, whose relationship with Green Lantern is the stuff of Hollywood cautionary tales. Over a decade later, DC fans are still clutching those green power rings, wondering if Reynolds might step back into the emerald spotlight. But as James Gunn reshapes the DCU with unapologetic boldness, the question lingers like a post-credits tease: Is a Reynolds Lantern encore even remotely on the cards?

While Deadpool slices through box office records, Green Lantern fans are left holding their breath (and their rings), wondering if that emerald glow might one day return.

No, Ryan Reynolds will not be donning the luminous spandex for James Gunn’s Lanterns. Gunn revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he jokingly floated the idea to Reynolds, whose response was a quick and brutal no. It is no secret that Reynolds has long treated his 2011 Green Lantern outing like a cinematic ex he regrets texting. With Deadpool in the MCU, returning to the DCU’s cosmic beatdown was never going to be on his bingo card.

Ryan Reynolds’ refusal perfectly underscores his glow-up. Once haunted by CGI suits and glowing green weapons, he has since leveled up to Deadpool, the fourth-wall-breaking anti-hero who mocks his past flops with merciless precision. James Gunn, ever the playful ringleader of superhero franchises, gets it. He knows that building a fresh Green Lantern narrative means leaving Reynolds’ chapter sealed tighter than the Book of Oa.

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While Ryan Reynolds cracks Marvel jokes, James Gunn assembles a new Lantern lineup, ripping up the nostalgia script and daring DC fans to expect the unexpected.

The upcoming Lanterns series will boldly go where no messy cinematic legacy dares to tread. Kyle Chandler steps in as Hal Jordan, Aaron Pierre lights up as John Stewart, and Nathan Fillion joins the cosmic fray as Guy Gardner. As he so often does, James Gunn rips tradition to shreds, keeping Ryan Reynolds in the MCU and Lanterns in a no-ex baggage zone, hinting at a DCU cured of reboot fatigue.

As Ryan Reynolds deepens his Marvel reign and James Gunn architects his own DC empire, their orbits no longer align. Reynolds’ future is stocked with Deadpool mayhem and R-rated brilliance, while Gunn’s DCU leans into character-driven reinventions. For fans hoping for a crossover, the message is clear: there is no Green Lantern reunion tour. Just new heroes, new stories, and a DCU that is determined to turn its cinematic luck around.

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What are your thoughts on Ryan Reynolds staying far from the green glow? Would you have loved to see him return, or are you team fresh start? Let us know in the comments below.