Before joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sebastian Stan was very close to being cast as an iconicDCsuperhero for Warner Bros. While James Gunn’s DC Universe is on its way, the reboot is happening after nearly two decades of complications for Warner Bros., culminating in the conclusion ofthe DCEU movie timeline. However, the studio has had other DC struggles too long before the DCEU was even created, particularly with a specific superhero movie that was initially aimed to help kickstart a new franchise for them.
During his appearance on theHappy, Sad, Confusedpodcast,Stan revealed that he had actually tried out for the role of Green Lantern in the 2010s. Stan added that he was one of a handful of actors who screen-tested for the role before revealing why he didn’t see himself as a good fit in the long run, sharing the following:
Then I think I told you there was Green Lantern [that was] another one that I screen-tested for. I remember getting there, it was like me, Justin Timberlake, Jared Leto, Ryan Reynolds, and maybe one other person. I’m looking at these guys going, ‘I’m f—ed! This is not [where I] belong. There is no way this is happening for me.’
What Sebastian Stan’s Green Lantern Story Meant For His MCU Future
While it would have been fascinating to see Stan as the lead oftheGreen Lanternmovie, the MCU veteran made it clear that it may have been for the best that he didn’t land the gig. In the same interview, Stan added that"You’d come close, and it wouldn’t happen, and in a way, I got to tell you…looking back, I’m almost glad it didn’t [happen.]‘Stan also stated that"I don’t know if I could have handled that level of attention like some of those guys,“in comparison to Leto, Timberlake, and Reynolds.
It’s also crucial to remember thatGreen Lantern(June 17) andCaptain America: The First Avenger(July 22,) which was Stan’s MCU debut, were released the same year, only one month apart while filming on both films happened in 2010. Even though Stan’s role was only supporting inCaptain America: The First Avenger,it was the start of a larger saga for Bucky, leading into his crucial role inCaptain America: The Winter Soldierand beyond.Green Lantern, on the other hand, became one of the biggest superhero flops for DC, as it would take more than a decade for a new project to happen for the Emerald Knights, withthe upcomingLanternsTV showcurrently in the works.
Our Take On Sebastian Stan’s Green Lantern Story
Given the outcome ofGreen Lantern,Stan dodged a major bullet, especially if it had meant that he would have never been cast as the Winter Soldier for the MCU. It would be hard to imagine anyone else as Bucky in the MCU, particularly in light of the major storylines he has gone through sinceCaptain America: The First Avenger. Nevertheless, with the newDC Universeon the horizon, there is always a chance Stan can get a different role in James Gunn’s franchise at somepoint down the line.
DC Universe
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
