When one thinks of comic book superheroes, words like "selfless" (Superman), "responsible" (Spider-Man) and "driven" (Batman) easily spring to mind, but rarely would words like "cocky" or "arrogant" be at the top of the list. But, according to actor Ryan Reynolds in a recent interview with MTV, those are exactly the type of words that describe his character, Hal Jordan, at the beginning of Green Lantern.
When we meet Hal Jordan, he's a cocky, sarcastic, arrogant type of guy and he's given this extraordinary gift. Rather than [have] that amplify those character traits, he's in fact humbled by it and given purpose in his life, which is what he lacked before.
Reynolds went on to say that, unlike most superhero movies where the majority of the story is bogged down by the need to tell the hero's origin, Hal's journey to becoming a superhero is "an accelerated process," thrusting him into costume—and into action—early in the movie. He also said that, even though Sinestro (Mark Strong) is "an ally in this film"—unlike his current status as the leader of the anti-Green Lantern Sinestro Corps in the comic books—you "definitely feel" his animosity towards Jordan.
I would say it's contentious. Humans are looked down upon by a lot of the Green Lanterns—they're kind of a sub-species.
Green Lantern was directed by Martin Campbell. Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Robbins and Angela Bassett also star.