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http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/07/10/bradley-cooper-justin-timberlake-ryan-reynolds-emerge-as-green-lantern-frontrunners/

Bradley Cooper, Justin Timberlake & Ryan Reynolds Emerge As ‘Green Lantern’ Frontrunners
Published by Josh Wigler on Friday, July 10, 2009 at 9:01 am.

If you immediately cried foul on the Justin Timberlake as Green Lantern rumor, you might want to bite your tongue. As it turns out, the pop sensation’s chances of playing Hal Jordan are very real, though he’ll have to fend off two other serious contenders on his way towards the power ring.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, three frontrunners have emerged in the race to star in “Green Lantern” for Warner Bros. Two of those names are familiar — Bradley Cooper and Justin Timberlake — but the other is new to the mix. No stranger to comic book fare, none other than Deadpool himself, Ryan Reynolds is also a contender for the role.

If Reynolds lands the coveted role of Hal Jordan, that means the actor will be starring in two comic book franchises of his own. That’s not entirely unprecedented, as “Superman Returns” star Brandon Routh has since landed roles in “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” and “Dead of Night.” Still, Routh’s roles are hardly of the same caliber of what Reynolds would be undertaking. As both Wade Wilson and Hal Jordan, he would be the face of two very different superhero properties — is that too much for audiences to bear?

Cooper, on the other hand, is an actor without a superhero to call his own. He has the geek credentials from his role on “Alias” while simultaneously exhibiting Hal Jordan’s signature cockiness in “Wedding Crashers” and “The Hangover.” Indeed, it’s his performance in the latter film that has likely caught the studio’s attention. With the actor’s star on the rise — don’t forget his recently signed deal for “The A-Team” — perhaps “Green Lantern” could be his breakout hit.

But is Cooper still too unproven to take the lead on an insanely big-budgeted superhero film? Can Cooper draw in the box office numbers that Warner Bros. needs to make this thing fly?

That brings us to the most divisive candidate of all. Love him or hate him, Justin Timberlake’s attachment to “Green Lantern” is unquestionably the most polarizing of the three actors — but he also has the broadest appeal to a global audience, thanks to his megastar status. Perhaps Timberlake is the ace in the hole for Warner Bros., a studio that could be worried about investing so much money in a second tier superhero film.

And make no mistake about it, this film will be huge. THR describes “Green Lantern” as “a full-blown space epic that is expected to cost between $150 million and $200 million, if not more.” Meritorious as he is, Hal Jordan is a lesser known quantity than Batman or Superman. Is putting an international icon in the lead character’s shoes the most surefire way to ensure a solid return on the WB’s considerable investment?

There’s a lot at play here, folks, but we’re likely to get some definitive answers soon. The article notes that Warner’s holding deal on Timberlake, Reynolds and Cooper ended this past Monday, meaning that the three actors are officially free to accept other offers. With a December 2010 release date not as far away as you’d think, it’s only a matter of time before one of these three candidates edges the others out to become the defender of Space Sector 2814.

Then again, maybe Nathan Fillion and Rainn Wilson are the real frontrunners, if their recent DC Comics meeting is any indication. You just never know in Hollywood.

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