Goofy and proud, Ryan Reynolds might be the greatest crass-talking superhero of our generation in the two Deadpool films, but let us never forget one of his greatest flops, the 2011 film Green Lantern that is surprisingly soaring charts on Netflix lately.
Directed by Martin Campbell, the film hit the streamer on September 1, 2021, and has been garnering quite the buzz ever since. It has conquered the second spot in the United States, closely following the gender-swapped reboot of She’s All That, titled He’s All That, starring Addison Rae.
Reynolds, who does indulge in self-deprecating humour every now and then, loves poking fun at the film. Even in Deadpool, Reynolds poked fun at Green Lantern. He has always gone out of his way to do so, calling it “the darkest crease in the anus of the universe” which has become a constant gag.
Reynolds once revealed why the film did not live up to expectations, stating: “Well, it’s simple: Deadpool always knew what it was. With Green Lantern, I don’t think anyone ever figured out exactly what it was.”
However, he paid attention to the hard work put in by the crew, adding: “That isn’t to say the hundreds of men and women didn’t work their fingers to the bone to make it as good as possible,” he said. “It also fell victim to the process in Hollywood which is like poster first, release date second, script last. At the time, it was a huge opportunity for me so I was excited to try and take part in it,” he continued.
While the film was an utter flop, Reynolds did manage to meet his now-wife Blake Lively with whom he shares an excellent and rather enviable rapport.
Martin Campbell, known for Casino Royale, revealed why the film “did not work”, explaining: “That’s the point, and I’m partly responsible for that. I shouldn’t have done it. Because with something like Bond — I love Bond, and I watched every Bond film before I ever directed it,” he said.
“Superhero movies are not my cup of tea, and for that reason, I shouldn’t have done it. But directors always have to carry the can for the failures. What do they say? Success has many fathers, failure has one. And that’s me.”
Watch the film streaming now on Netflix.
