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Superman: Fillion on Why Playing "Jerk" Guy Gardner Was "Freeing"

Superman star Nathan Fillion shared some insights into "jerk" Green Lantern Guy Gardner and why it was so "freeing" to play him in the film.

He was a hot topic of conversation when he first appeared in the teaser trailer for DC Studios co-CEO and writer/director James Gunn's David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult-starring Superman. About two months later, he would be in the spotlight again when Gunn and his pup Ozu offered Puppy Bowl XXI viewers a special treat in the form of our best look at him so far (more on that in a minute). Of course, we're talking about Nathan Fillion's Green Lantern Guy Gardner. With the film set to hit screens this July, Fillion shared some insights during a recent interview in support of ABC's The Rookie into what makes this particular ring-bearer tick.

"He's a jerk!" shared Fillion, wasting little time offering TV Guide his quick assessment. But that doesn't necessarily mean that he's not good at his job. "What's important to know is you don't have to be good to be a Green Lantern; you just have to be fearless," Fillion continued. "So Guy Gardner is fearless, and he is not very good. He's not nice, which is very freeing as an actor because you just think to yourself, what is the most selfish, self-serving thing I can do in this moment? And that's the answer. That's what you do in that moment. I think if he has a superpower, it might be his overconfidence, in that he thinks he could take on Superman. He can't!"

DC Studios: James Gunn Done with Superman, Batman Origin Stories

Near the end of November, Gunn responded on social media for being accused of "overlooking origin stories" while also calling out DC Studios for focusing on "niche characters to headline their own movies like Sgt. Rock or Swamp Thing" and not focusing enough on characters they believe are better suited to attract a "general audience." When DC Studios' "Chapter One: Gods and Monsters' was unveiled in 2023, we learned that a Swamp Thing film was planned (with James Mangold attached). Recently, rumblings have gotten louder that director Luca Guadagnino (Queer) was set for a Sgt. Rock film. And let's not forget the upcoming Mike Flanagan-penned Clayface movie that was recently given a green light.

In terms of superhero origin stories, Gunn isn't looking to tell Batman's and Superman's respective backstories again because we've been down that road many times before ("I'm not telling Batman and Superman's origin stories again because everyone knows them"). But in terms of Swamp Thing not being deserving enough for his own film, Gunn wasn't having any of it. "Don't put Swamp Thing in the corner. That's a project in development we've actually announced, and he's an incredibly well-known character with not only some of the greatest comics of all time but a successful film series and his own TV show, something that could be said of only a very small handful of DC characters," Gunn added.

DC Studios' Superman stars David Corenswet (Hollywood) as Superman/Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Lois Lane. In addition, the Superman: Legacy cast includes Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Nicholas Hoult (The Great) as Lex Luthor, Wendell Pierce (HBO's The Wire) as Perry White, Isabela Merced (Sicario: Day of the Soldado) as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi (X-Men: First Class) as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion (The Rookie) as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan (Barry) as Metamorpho, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer, Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord, Pruitt Taylor Vince (Murder One, Lady in the Lake) as Jonathan Kent/"Pa Kent," and Neva Howell (Ghosts of the Ozarks) as Martha Kent/"Ma Kent."

Joining them are Beck Bennett (Saturday Night Live) as Daily Planet sports editor Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad) as Daily Planet gossip columnist Cat Grant, and Christopher McDonald as skilled Daily Planet reporter Ron Troupe – with Frank Grillo's Rick Flag Sr. (from Creature Commandos and Peacemaker Season 2) set to appear, along with Alan Tudyk in an undisclosed role. Composer John Murphy (28 Days Later, Sunshine, Kick-Ass, The Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3) will score the film.

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