While promoting Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, director Christopher McQuarrie finally opened up about his scrapped Superman and Green Lantern pitches for Warner Bros., projects that would’ve starred Henry Cavill.
McQuarrie was once in serious talks to develop Man of Steel 2 and a Green Lantern film. However, Warner Bros. passed. Now, years later, he reveals what might have been.
McQuarrie directed Henry Cavill in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and of course Tom Cruise in the films. Rumors back then offered Tom Cruise was up to play Green Lantern.
“It would have been epic”
While speaking with Josh Horowitz, McQuarrie wouldn’t go into specific details about his pitch with Henry Cavill, but nonetheless, it sounded pretty awesome.
McQuarrie said his Superman story was “good,” and hinted at a huge and emotional, powerful opening sequence:
“The first five minutes of my Superman movie… imagine a [Pixar’s] Up sequence with no dialogue… after which you knew exactly what made Superman tick and exactly what Superman was most afraid of… it would have been epic. The scale of the movie would have been absolutely extraordinary.”
He added the story would’ve embraced hope and inspiration, echoing what made Richard Donner’s take so iconic. However, perhaps taking a jab at James Gunn, McQuarrie said it should be original:
“I don’t think you need to live in the shadow of Donner’s Superman. I don’t think you need to live in the shadow of John Williams’ score. But you do need to recognize that that movie captured better than any other… the heart of that character.”
He also stressed:
“Superman’s greatest obstacle is himself. Followed potentially by Green Lantern.”
Green Lantern’s Power and Flaw
Regarding Green Lantern, McQuarrie revealed that Green Lantern was the project first brought to him, and he revealed he cracked how to make it work, as all-powerful characters like Green Lantern and Superman can be hard to write:
“Green Lantern’s a tough one… The power is very challenging, and I cracked it… It was fun… Watching him learn how to use that power… and giving that power a flaw, so that it was not pure invincibility…
He said the core of the idea revolved around the ring’s limited energy:
“The whole concept of Green Lantern is the ring has to be recharged. Yes, you have infinite power, but you only have so much battery life, and that can run out at inconvenient times. That for me solved the whole Green Lantern problem… How do you give that character tension and stakes, and also how do you do it with Superman?”
Henry Cavill’s Take and the Missed Opportunity
McQuarrie revealed he and Henry Cavill were aligned on the story’s emotional and thematic core:
“Henry had a take on that, and I suddenly realized how these two characters had amazing similarities, which also allowed for amazing conflict and an amazing universe-expanding resolution.”
Following WB passing on McQuarrie and Henry Cavill’s DC vision, McQuarrie said “never again,” adding at the time in now-deleted tweets, “They have their own problems and I sympathize. Deeply. But after 25 years of hearing no, even an idiot like me gets the message. I go where I’m valued.”
He finished up with Horowitz with:
“It’s all right there, guys. It’s all right there, just sitting there waiting for somebody to make.”
What’s next for Superman and Green Lantern?
James Gunn is now in charge of the DCU and recast Superman with David Corenswet. The new movie hits July 11th. Nathan Fillion is also playing Green Lantern Guy Gardner.
Likewise, Gunn put together a new Green Lantern TV series, titled Lanterns, with Kyle Chandler playing Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart. Ulrich Thomsen plays Sinestro.
