Nathan Fillion Wanted to Play This Obscure Superhero Before He Was Cast as Green Lantern
Actor Nathan Fillion was cast in one of his dream roles when Superman director James Gunn chose him to play Green Lantern. But years ago, Fillion had a couple of other DC superheroes in mind he was curious about portraying in live action.
Nathan Fillion wanted to play this deranged superhero before he was cast as Green Lantern
Fillion was already used to being a part of superhero properties. He’s had experience voicing Green Lantern in several DC animated projects. He’s also played his fair share of original superheroes such as Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible and The Holy Avenger in James Gunn’s Super. But he never played a live action character from the Marvel or DC universes until recently. He was seen portraying his first DC comics character in The Suicide Squad, where he played T.D.K.. T.D.K.’s appearance in the feature was short-lived, however, and had Fillion playing a villain instead of a hero.
Fillion shared that after his first and last appearance as the villain, he looked forward to returning to James Gunn’s DC franchise in some capacity. He’d even send Gunn some of his ideas about Fillion’s hypothetical return to the universe. Whether or not Fillion was joking, there were two DC heroes that the actor was interested in exploring. One of which was the little-known superhero Ambush bug.
“There’s an obscure character that I don’t think a lot of people know about: Ambush Bug. He was deranged and found some kind of alien suit that covers him from head-to-toe — you never see his face. He’s invulnerable and he has the ability to teleport, but he’s not quite there [mentally]. He breaks the fourth wall like Deadpool and She-Hulk. I think he could be fun to do,” Fillion once told Toronto Sun.
The other superhero he wanted to play was Booster Gold, a more well-known character who was a time traveler from the future. Although it’s been reported that Kumail Nanjiani would be portraying the character in Gunn’s universe.
What Nathan Fillion really likes about playing the superhero Green Lantern
Fillion might’ve gotten a better deal being cast as the much more popular superhero Green Lantern. Although details regarding the film have been scarce, it seems that Fillion’s Guy Gardner will play a huge role in Gunn’s Superman. But Fillion’s appreciation for the role went beyond just playing a superhero who he admired. The Castle star teased that his Green Lantern wouldn’t be unlike how he’s written in the comics. Guy’s personality flaws gave Fillion a lot to sink his teeth into as an actor.
“You could have the most wonderful family, but be like, ‘Oh, my God, my dad drives me nuts,” Fillion once told Collider. “’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 percent 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.”
Fillion also looked forward to working with Gunn again. The two recently collaborated for a brief time in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which introduced Fillion to his first Marvel film.
“That movie moved me. Those movies make me feel things. And not just crying but feeling joy and feeling connections and feeling the love. It’s about family. It’s so much about family. I just think that’s what James Gunn does best. He says he’s thinking of something else that we’re all thinking of, and he just makes it so much better and he makes the things that matter to us all,” Fillion said.
