Green Lantern Almost Went R-Rated in a Michael Bay Movie
Green Lantern almost blasted into Michael Bay’s unmade, R-rated Lobo, writer Jason Fuchs revealed, reigniting buzz around the violent DC project that never left the launchpad.
Here is one for the 'wild DC roads not taken' file: the Lobo movie Michael Bay circled a while back was apparently a hard-R, ultra-violent romp that would have dragged Green Lantern and other DC cosmic players into the mess. It never happened, obviously, but writer Jason Fuchs just laid out what it could have been, and yeah, it sounds gnarly.
The Lobo movie that almost was
On Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, Fuchs said his script for the unmade Lobo film went all-in on chaos and carnage. His description was not shy:
"Hard R. Psychotic movie, very violent. It made Deadpool look like a Disney family film, which is probably why it ultimately didn't get made, but that was one of my favorite projects we didn't get to see across the finish line, but it was a fun one."
That version is the same one that had Michael Bay in the mix. It stalled out before cameras ever rolled.
Green Lantern was in the mix (and not alone)
Fuchs says the script pulled in more than just Lobo's usual trail of broken bones. Green Lantern showed up in the story, and there were additional DC names sprinkled throughout. As he put it, he leaned into 'Legion' elements too, using that corner of DC's cosmic lore as a springboard while still keeping Lobo front and center. In his words, it was very much a Lobo movie, but also designed as a potential first chapter in a larger 'Legion' run.
- Hard-R, ultra-violent tone
- Green Lantern involved in the story
- Cameos/appearances from other DC characters
- Heavy use of 'Legion' elements
- Intended to set up a possible Legion series while staying a Lobo movie
Meanwhile, Green Lantern almost popped up elsewhere too
Fuchs' near-miss was not the only time a Green Lantern cameo came close. Around the same period, Zack Snyder planned to bring John Stewart into the DCEU in a pivotal scene. Snyder even shot it with Wayne T. Carr as Stewart. After a studio review, that scene was pulled, and the Lantern stayed on the sidelines.
So in one corner, an R-rated space biker epic that would have made a lot of heads roll; in the other, a filmed John Stewart moment that never made the cut. Green Lantern keeps getting invited to the party and then turned away at the door.