Michael Jai White wants to suit up as Green Lantern

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Michael Jai White is no stranger to comic book adaptations having taken on the role of Al Simmons in SPAWN and Ben Turner/Bronze Tiger on ten episodes of Arrow but now the actor has another comic book role in his sights if he has his way.

While speaking to fans via social media, White was asked a question regarding which comic book character he would like to play on screen. White responded by saying the fans want him to play John Stewart, a.k.a., Green Lantern:

"So, I was asked what character would I like to play from the Marvel or DC universe and that answer would have to be from the DC universe, a character called John Stewart because that's what everybody wants me to play. So, can't let down the fans."

For those that don't know, John Stewart takes on the Green Lantern mantle and has been a staple of the DC universe for years. The character, created by Dennis O'Neil, was the first African-American superhero to appear in DC Comics and he made his debut in "Green Lantern" (Volume 2) #87 in December of 1971. Stewart has yet to make an appearance in any live-action Green Lantern adaptation but he was featured as one of the lead characters on the television cartoon Justice League from 2001-2004. He also continued to appear as a major character on the show's 2004-2006 sequel, Justice League Unlimited. Since then, Stewart went on to be featured in the New 52 relaunch of Green Lantern Corps in 2011 alongside Guy Gardner and he became the sole lead character of the title from 2013 until the series' conclusion in 2015.

Hal Jordan is the Green Lantern that is most often shown on TV and film. Ryan Reynolds' version of the character is probably the most well-known, appearing in 2011's GREEN LANTERN which was a critical and box office failure. Currently, the GREEN LANTERN CORPS movie does not have a release date but maybe that could be an option for Michael Jai White if he's on their radar. Comic book writer Geoff Johns is on board to bring that narrative to life and he discussed the movie back in 2018, saying "I want to make sure I write the best script I can possibly write, so I need to go away in a cave and write that script and finish it and then come out and go 'okay' and work with the guys and really make sure we've got the best story to tell and the best way into this character. I think we have a lot of things in it that…people know my run from Green Lantern and so they shouldn't be too surprised by seeing what we bring into it." While the movie project might be in a bit of release date limbo, it has been confirmed that HBO Max is moving forward with a Green Lantern TV show. Not much is known about the live-action series but ArrowVerse mega-producer, Greg Berlanti, is involved with the project and it will focus on three Green Lanterns within its story.

Michael Jai White wouldn't be a bad choice considering he's no stranger to action roles so at least we know he would be physically capable of taking it on if he had to. This also isn't the first time he has hinted at being interested in playing Stewart. The actor took to his social media last year and reposted a piece of fanart that featured him as Stewart and his wife, Gillian White, as Vixen. You can check out the Instagram post below:

Do YOU think Michael Jai White would be a good choice for John Stewart's Green Lantern? Would YOU rather see him in a film version or his own live-action TV series?