Josh Brolin recently opened up about turning down the role of Hal Jordan in DC’s Green Lantern series, Lanterns. In a new interview, he reflected on the decision, compared it to passing on Avatar, and shared which one was actually harder to pass on.
Josh Brolin on which project he regrets rejecting between Lanterns and Avatar
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Josh Brolin was asked which project was harder to say no to between DC’s Green Lantern series, Lanterns, and Avatar. The actor responded, “James Cameron,” and revealed he was being considered for the role of Colonel Miles Quaritch, which Stephen Lang eventually played.
He further showed excitement for Lanterns, saying, “I heard Green Lantern… I know it’s Kyle Chandler and Paula Patton, who I did a pilot with… I’m super excited to see it… I can’t wait to see it, because I love Kyle Chandler, I think he’s solid. He’s fantastic.”
DC Studios approached several actors for Lanterns before casting Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan. While the actor mentioned Paula Patton as part of the project, no official casting announcement has confirmed her involvement. DC Studios has not released additional details about her potential role, but speculation points to a possible casting as Carol Ferris.
During the interview, Brolin also addressed his past and future with Marvel, expressing his willingness to return as Thanos. “If they called me in London right now, and said, ‘Let’s do this,’ I’d be like, ‘I’ll be there tomorrow,’” he said. The actor recalled Marvel’s secrecy during production and how the Thanos role expanded beyond the initial cameo pitch. “It turned into this whole thing,” Brolin added.
He clarified that his experience on Deadpool 2 as Cable was less fulfilling, stating, “I was glad it was one experience.” His remarks have fueled speculation that he is unlikely to return as Cable in the reported X-Force movie.
Although Lanterns is part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe slate, Brolin appears more interested in continuing his collaboration with the Russo Brothers on potential future MCU projects like Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.
