With everyone from Common to Mary Elizabeth Winstead to Jessica Biel funneling through the “Justice League of America” rumor mill almost daily, we have a new name to throw into the mix: Columbus Short.
“I was up for that,” revealed the choreographer-turned-”Stomp the Yard” star, confirming that he has been approached for the part of The Green Lantern. The actor joins a long list of auditioners including T.I., Common and Tyrese Gibson, all of whom have been considered to slip on the most powerful ring in all of comic-dom.
“‘Justice League’ is going to be dope, it’s going to be huge,” grinned the fast-rising star, before dropping a second bomb: “But it’s not the movie for me.”
That’s right - Columbus Short has not only been considered for “Justice League,” but has already turned the filmmakers (including director George Miller) down cold. In joining the ranks of Biel and who knows how many others, Short said that he ultimately decided the script was too much popcorn for his taste.
“I think there comes a point in an actor’s career when he decides what type of actor you want to be,” explained the 25-year-old, who appears in “This Christmas” next month alongside Chris Brown. “[Each actor] decides: I want to do commercial movies, but do I want to go this way? Or do I want to go that way?”
For some time, Short remembered, he was intent on becoming the first major African-American superhero on-screen; these days, however, he’s content to watch somebody else grab the “Justice League” role. “I have a production company, and there was a while there when I was diligently pillaging old comic books, and going online to try and find black comics - and there’s not that many,” he explained. “Green Lantern is about John Stewart; he was one of the only [prominent black heroes].”
Would you have paid to see Short pledging: “In brightest day, in blackest night/No evil shall escape my sight?” If not, who’s your choice for the newest member of the Guardians of the Universe? With only a few months left before filming begins, you can bet that the studio is keeping an eye on the message boards!
First of all I consider Hal Jordan the real Green Lantern. Call me silly but the person who wore the ring the longest in comic history dating back to the late 50's is obviously the template for the character. John Stewart's fine, but it is stated in the comics that Hal Jordan had the strongest will and imagination making him the strongest power ring weilder our galaxy has seen.
Also, let's get real. It's rude to toss about the word token, but anyone who thinks "diversity" demographics did not play a large role in the decision to use the Stewart character is either naive or in a vaccuum. Another consideration was age demographics. "Kiddies" today tend to be a self-centered lot unwiiling to acknowledge or pay homage to anything that wasn't created circa 1985 or later. In an age where video gaming has frequently replaced true storytelling as the foundation for most movies in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, this does not surprise me.
And to those who say Stewart is what made the animated Justice Leagues so successful i say this:
Where is the animated series now? How long did they run? Successful... really? The Superfriends cartoon was more successful for Chrissakes and endured about 4 times as long a run(at least). And that was no work of art. Fun, albeit, but no great piece of work.
I'm just so tired of years of comic history being over-looked for what's in at the moment. If they treated Superman that way it would have been tolerated. Long Live Hal!