Would Green Lantern Actually Work On Arrow?

A lot has been made of Stephen Amell, star of Arrow, saying at the recent Fan Expo Canada that the character he’d most like to see on his show was Green Lantern. It’s a perfectly reasonable request, given the long history of Green Arrow and Green Lantern as buddies in DC Comics, and because, as Amell pointed out, the show has already referenced GL’s old employer Ferris Air multiple times.

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A big part of me would geek out seeing that too, as Green Lantern has been my favorite DC super hero since I was old enough to read. That desire is only increased by my “meh” reaction to the Green Lantern movie, and by the fact that we’ve yet to have any indication he’s going to appear in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

And yet …

I’m not so sure Green Lantern would really “work” on Arrow. An intergalactic peacekeeper with a ring capable of doing anything its wearer has the will to conjure up would be a strange sight in the gritty streets of Starling City. Arrow’s brand of realism may allow for machines that can cause earthquakes on demand and an herb that can flush out any poison and cure darn near everything, but that’s still a far cry from a guy flying around making hard light constructs.

You could, of course, have a rookie Hal Jordan who hasn’t quite mastered the ring yet, but what fun would that be? I’d rather see the GL concept full out or not at all.

These gentlemen share the same TV universe, but they fight crime in different cities. That makes a difference.

And yes, I’m well aware that The Flash is going to feature a gentleman who can run at the speed of light (note: I’m not sure the Barry Allen on TV will actually be able to reach near-light speeds), villains with all kinds of metahuman powers and even Firestorm, who can rearrange the molecular structure of matter as he sees fit. That’s fine because all of it is taking place in Central City, keeping the more grounded elements of their shared universe geographically separated from the more fantastic a la Metropolis and Gotham City. It’s silly, but it’s worked for comics for decades, and we’ve grown to accept it.

My suggestion? If Geoff Johns and his running mates want to do Green Lantern on TV, have him show up on The Flash. He’ll fit in better there, and Hal and Barry were famously buddies for years and years as well. Then if everyone wants to do a crossover and get a mini Justice League together, it can happen in that series and it will feel tonally correct.

Maybe I’m completely off base about all this, as the Atom, or at least Ray Palmer, is going to be a recurring character on Arrow this season. Maybe Season 3 is going to be full of Brandon Routh shrinking down to help Oliver Queen fight bad guys and flashier superheroics will be the norm going forward.

If that’s the case, then by all means, invite Green Lantern to the party and let’s go all out. Until then, though, Mr. Amell, we’ll have to respectfully disagree. Sorry about that.

(via Comic Book Resources)

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