Finn Wittrock has landed the role of Guy Gardner/Green Lantern in HBO Max's upcoming series based on the DC characters.
Coming to us from Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Seth Grahame-Smith, the HBO Max series will reinvent the classic DC property through a story the will span decades and galaxies. Here is the official synopsis from HBO Max:
"Green Lantern reinvents the classic DC property through a story spanning decades and galaxies, beginning on Earth in 1941 with the very first Green Lantern, secretly gay FBI agent Alan Scott, and 1984, with cocky alpha male Guy Gardner and half-alien Bree Jarta. They'll be joined by a multitude of other Lanterns — from comic book favorites to never-before-seen heroes."
Guy Gardner is described as a "hulking mass of masculinity, and, as rendered in the comics, an embodiment of 1980s hyper-patriotism." Despite all of this, Guy is somehow likable and that likely explains why Wittrock is perfect for the role. The Guy Gardner incarnation of Green Lantern headlined the 1997 CBS Justice League of America pilot, although the series never made it to air. The role was played by Matthew Settle.
The character of Guy Gardner was created by John Broome and Gil Kane in "Green Lantern #59" (March 1968), although the character was changed significantly in the 1980s by Steve Englehart and Joe Staton who turned him into a jingoistic parody of an ultra-macho "red-blooded American male." This has remained the characterization of the character in the years since and this is the persona that will be adapted for the HBO Max series.
Finn Wittrock has had quite the career and has prolific producer Ryan Murphy to thank for a lot of it. Wittrock earned two Emmy nominations for Murphy productions that include American Horror Story: Freak Show and Versace: American Crime Story. Wittrock has worked exclusively with Ryan Murphy for the past seven years and joining the Berlanti TV universe marks the first time he has stepped away from a Murphy production. Wittrock has done multiple installments of American Horror Story, including the long-awaited 10th season.
Do YOU think Finn Wittrock was the best choice to play Guy Gardner on the Green Lantern HBO Max series?