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Who is Guy Gardner? Nathan Fillion to play Green Lantern in 'Superman: Legacy', fans say 'dude kills in every role'

Nathan Fillion was cast by James Gunn as Guy Gardner for 'Superman: Legacy', besides Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific and Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Three new actors have joined James Gunn's 'Superman Legacy', a film set to usher in the live-action revival of the DC Universe, as reported by Variety. Each of them is about to portray a character who has had a long legacy in comic books. Edi Gathegi will play Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion will be Guy Gardner aka Green Lantern, and Isabela Merced has been chosen to portray Hawkgirl. They join David Corenswet, who has already been tapped to play Clark Kent aka Superman, opposite Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane.

Guy Gardner, a "hulking mass of masculinity" who is lovable despite being a bit annoying, will be played by Fillion, who seemed to be the ideal pick, having previously played the superhero Captain Hammer in 'Dr. Horrible'. The character is famed for his red bowl hairstyle, which will be part of Fillion's image in the latest movie, as per Vanity Fair.

Who is Guy Gardner?

Guy Darrin Gardner, one of the Green Lantern characters, is a superhero who frequently appears in DC Comics' American comic books featuring the Green Lantern family of characters. He also played a significant role in the Justice League for a brief period from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. He typically appears in books about the intergalactic police force he is a part of, the Green Lantern Corps. Actor Martin Milner served as the model for Gardner's initial creation.

DC Comics describes Gardner as "Hot-headed, unruly, and prone to breaking the rules." He "isn't always the most likable hero but he's proven time and again to be a worthy Green Lantern." Gardner would have been the first person to join the Green Lantern Corps, the team of cosmic heroes led by the Guardians of the Universe on the planet Oa, instead of test pilot Hal Jordan if he had been a few miles closer to a dying alien named Abin Sur. But eventually, Gardner became a Green Lantern, and he swiftly developed a rep for being a "rebel without a cause who doesn't know" when to be quiet. "But whenever evil needs to be fought or lives are threatened, Guy Gardner is here to help. Just don't expect him to be nice about it," adds the description of DC Comics. 

Guy Gardner overcame an abusive childhood

Gardner, who was born in Baltimore, overcame an abusive childhood with the support of his brother, a police officer, and went on to become a social welfare case worker. This scrupulous quality was revived by writer Beau Smith in 1992's Guy Gardner ongoing series, which was renamed 'Guy Gardner: Warrior with issue #17'. He took on the alias Warrior after discovering his true origins as a descendant of a space-faring race known as the Vuldarians, as well as brand new abilities such as the capacity to morph sections of his body into any type of weapon. Meanwhile, Gardner augmented his income by launching Warriors, a superhero-themed bar. This brief diversion from Hal Jordan's spectacular Green Lantern career came up at the same time as he destroyed the Green Lantern Corps, leveled Coast City, and assumed the name Parallax as the embodiment of dread, as per reports.

'Dude kills in every role'

The Internet quickly reacted to the news of Fillion being cast as Guy Gardner in 'Superman: Legacy', which is set to be released on July 11, 2025. The actor is a regular in Gunn's movies, having previously played The Detachable Kid in Gunn's 'The Suicide Squad' as well as Slither in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3'. Fillion became well-known thanks to his role as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the 'Firefly' movie as well as its sequel.

"Dude kills in every role. He is also Gunn's go to guy," a fan tweeted, while another wrote, "They look exactly the same." "James Gunn knows what he's doing," stated one user. "Finally he gets a live action Green Lantern appearance. He first voiced Green Lantern in the animated film "Green Lantern: Emerald Knights," which was released on June 7, 2011. I've been wanting him as a Green Lantern since Firefly in 2002 I've been waiting 21 years for this," expressed a fan who seems to have been rooting for Fillion to be cast as Guy Gardner. "James Gunn always has room for Nate. He's some of my favourite characters too Cayde-6, Officer Nolan on the TV, now my second favourite green lantern," remarked another.