Fan-favorite Nathan Fillion, known for his roles as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in Firefly, Richard Castle in Castle and more recently, a brutal antagonist in James Gunn’s final Guardians of the Galaxy film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Fillion will working alongside Gunn once more in Gunn’s new DC film universe, this time as the brash, loud-mouthed Green Lantern, Guy Gardner. Fillion, who will be appearing as Gardner in Gunn’s upcoming Superman: Legacy, shared his thoughts on how he landed the role as well as why he’s so excited to play Green Lantern.
“We were actually at the premiere party after Suicide Squad and [James Gunn] was in a huge crowd of people,” Fillion told Christina Radish of Collider on how he landed the role of Green Lantern/Guy Gardner. “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.’”
Fillion mentioned that Gunn is well-suited to helming DC’s new film universe, noting that the director’s unique approach and viewpoints should take the DC characters in a much needed different direction than before.
“‘This guy is just firing on different cylinders,” he continued, “and he’s taking things in different directions, and that’s what makes his stuff so satisfying and so fun to watch.’ He’s got different ideas and they are so worthy.”
Fillion added that one of the reasons he’s so excited to play Green Lantern/Guy Gardner is that the character is different from some superheroes in that he’s noticeably flawed — and it’s these flaws and the trials and tribulations the character undergoes because of them that will connect him to audiences.
“The reality is that people have flaws,” Fillion said. “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.”
What do you think of the thoughts shared by Nathan Fillion on why he’s so excited to play Green Lantern? Do you think Fillion will portray Guy Gardner well in Superman: Legacy? Let us know what you think in the comments.
