Once Positioned To Play Alan Scott, Actor Jeremy Irvine Now Reflects On HBO Max’s Green Lantern Series Flickering Out
Jeremy Irvine is the latest actor to comment on the turbulent state of Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC plans. Reflecting on the cancellation of HBO Max’s Green Lantern series, Irvine speaks less from a place of frustration and more from an understanding of how corporate shifts can derail any project.
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Irvine had been cast as Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern, in what was once positioned as a major piece of DC’s streaming strategy. Scripts were finished, development was far along, and he was only months away from suit fittings.
But as DC entered another round of “strategic resets,” the series was ultimately shelved. “I was so gutted,” Irvine told The Direct. “I think I slept on my floor that night when I found out that it wasn’t going to happen.”
He continued, “In this industry, I always like to say that you get one kick in the nuts every year as an actor. And that, I remember, that one being a hard one because I had some really good ideas for it… But it was just a really nice story; the way it was written was really cool. The scripts were great.”
Pressed for details, Irvine said he’s limited by the paperwork he signed. “I think I probably signed more NDAs for that than ever before in my life,” he noted. Still, he’s careful not to burn bridges with the current leadership.
“I’d rather not go to court with Mr. James Gunn. I’d quite like to work with him,” he added.
The show’s cancellation fits a broader pattern for DC, which has seen multiple projects reworked or abandoned amid leadership changes and efforts to consolidate the brand under a unified approach. It became another casualty of shifting priorities rather than internal doubt or squabbling.
However, the series wasn’t without controversy. One of its blemishes was a plan to portray Scott as a gay man to align with his current comic interpretation. This choice sparked outrage and dismay among fans who prefer his proper portrayal and Justice Society legacy.
Ultimately, the Greg Berlanti project’s timing worked against it far worse than that creative decision, as DC’s constant restructuring meant even long‑standing characters weren’t guaranteed protection.
For fans of Golden Age heroes, Irvine’s comments underscore a familiar frustration: opportunities for faithful, live‑action adaptations (not that we call this failure an example of such) are rare, and they can disappear quickly when a studio changes direction.
NEXT: Comic Book Readers Reject ‘Alan Scott: Green Lantern’ Book By Tim Sheridan
