God Speed, Green Lantern
Last year, I was lucky enough to be on a movie set for a particular project I’ll eventually be free to speak about. Let’s just put it this way; I am legally obligated not to say a thing about what I did, who I saw and what I heard and if that doesn’t make you want to know what it is, you have no idea how much I want to tell you all.
Enough about me.
So, on set, one of the extras next to me is this absolutely fascinating guy I can’t remember the name of. What he does and did is far more important. He trains military soldiers to go to Iraq and protect themselves and others in a hostile urban environment. Everything from procedures on how to handle a suicide bomber, how to clear a road efficiently and quickly as possible, enduring interrogations from the enemy, even how to survive in the sweltering desert and get to safety. He told it all casually, as if his preparation wasn’t saving lives and making stronger people. His shoulders were huge, his jaw square and he was funny as hell.
And he wanted to be a Green Lantern.
The moment comics came up in casual conversation, he just lit up like he recited the Oath. He’d been reading Green Lantern comics since he was a kid and adored John Stewart. He could tell you anything about the character and we talked over recent story lines with great enthusiasm. At that time, he talked about the movie possibility and while he didn’t know the particulars, he knew he’d be first in the casting call line the moment he got word one. You know, if he wasn’t off training in the middle of the desert.
Comics are great, people. Anyone and everyone can be a fan of smoe odd facet or another for a million and one reasons. The guy on set was amazing, in both his acting career and in his day job and when I heard news that the Green Lantern movie seems to be set to film next Spring, I thought back to that guy. Sure, hal Jordan seems to be the main named dropped, but if there’s room for a John Stewart, you’ll have a very brave and awesome guy front and center.
