Nathan Fillion is officially set to play Guy Gardner in the DC Universe reboot. The Superman actor recently revealed why he was drawn to play the iconic Green Lantern.
Fans were shocked when it was revealed Guy Gardner would be appearing in the new Superman film, and then were immediately floored when they found out Nathan Fillion would be playing him. Many saw this as the most out-of-left-field casting possible for the new DC Universe. However, according to Fillion, he knew he’d be playing Green Lantern before the reboot was even announced.
“We were actually at the premiere party after Suicide Squad and he was in a huge crowd of people,” Fillion revealed during a recent interview with Collider. “We saw each other in the crowd and I congratulated him, ‘Oh, my God, that was amazing. It’s so great.’”
“He goes, ‘Hey, did Peter [Safran] tell you what we’ve got for you next?’ I said, ‘No, he hasn’t said.’ He looked around like someone was gonna be listening. We were in a throng of people, but he leaned over and said, ‘You’re gonna be Guy Gardner.’”
While we knew that James Gunn was planning on making Superman an Elseworlds film prior to the DC Universe being officially rebooted, it’s interesting to hear he had Nathan Fillion in mind to play Guy Gardner so early on. Some may view this as Gunn having a bias toward his friends, but there may also be something truly special about Fillion that makes him perfect for the Green Lantern.
Why Nathan Fillion Was Drawn To Guy Gardner
James Gunn isn’t the only one confident Nathan Fillion can be a great Guy Gardner. Continuing with Collider, the actor reveals that he’s drawn to the iconic Green Lantern due to his brash nature. Fillion explains that everyone in life has flaws, and Gardner’s openness with his own made him amazingly fun to play in the Superman reboot.
“The reality is that people have flaws.” Fillion continued. “We all have quirks. We all have vulnerabilities. You could have the most wonderful family, but be like, ‘Oh, my God, my dad drives me nuts. He’s got this one thing.’ Everybody’s got something, and I love to lean into those faults and flaws.”
“It’s what makes people real and what allows audiences to relate, because we all know what that is. We all have our own. We witness it in other people. Guy Gardner is 90% flawed and doesn’t care. That’s one of his flaws. I think there’s a real freedom in playing that. So, for a guy who likes to play flaws and flawed people, Guy Gardner is a gold mine.”
Nathan Fillion is certainly no stranger to playing flawed heroes, from his most famous role in Castle to Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. Guy Gardner is a character that needs to be played by someone not afraid to ruffle some feathers, yet still stays grounded in the heart of the character. It’s possible Fillion may be the perfect Green Lantern after all, but fans won’t truly know until Superman officially hits theaters.
Superman is currently scheduled to hit theaters on July 11, 2025. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
