Say what you like about Green Lantern, but while other unremarkable superhero movies have faded into obscurity and are hardly talked about anymore, the infamous 2011 flop has never been forgotten. That’s partly thanks to how star Ryan Reynolds has turned bashing the film into a running joke on both social media and in his Deadpool movies. At this point, Green Lantern enjoys unlikely enduring fame that most films would kill for.
Case in point, it’s currently dominating Netflix. Following its return to the streaming service earlier this week, Green Lantern has instantly shot up the rankings. According to Flix Patrol, the DC movie is the second most popular title on Netflix in the United States this Friday, beaten only by new teen romcom He’s All That. The fact that so many subscribers have flocked to the film as soon as it hit the platform shows just how bizarrely popular Reynolds’ portrayal of Hal Jordan is.
Its popularity could also have something to do with the fact that folks really want a good Green Lantern film, but sadly this is the only one that exists, so they have to settle for watching it again. Warner Bros. is developing a Green Lantern TV series, which is headed to HBO Max, so hopefully, that’ll go some way to scratching that itch. Of course, another reason why so many people are watching is because of Reynolds. He’ll next be appearing alongside fellow heavyweights Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot in Netflix’s action-thriller Red Notice, coming this November.
Director Martin Campbell recently opened up about what went wrong with Green Lantern, revealing that he had the worst fight of his career with WB during production. It’s known that Campbell lost the battle for creative control on this one, a story that’s true of other DC flicks since (see: Suicide Squad and Justice League). Because of his bad experiences, he’s vowed never to make another superhero picture again.
If you feel like rewatching Green Lantern, you can find it on Netflix now.
