John Diggle actor David Ramsey reflects on how theArrowversehad to fight hard for their Green Lantern storyline before having to scrap theDCplot altogether. Whilethe Arrowverse franchiseaccomplished many arcs during its run, the payoff to their Green Lantern tease was one of the biggest complications.
After many years of foreshadowing Diggle’s transformation to become a Green Lantern,The Flashseason 8 brought it to an abrupt end, with Ramsey’s character rejecting the mystery box’s invitation. This obviously frustrated many viewers to seethe Green Lantern storyline in the Arrowversenever getting a chance to shine.
At the recent FAN EXPO Denver, whichScreenRantwas in attendance for, Ramsey was asked by a fan what happened to the Green Lantern plot and how the story came about before it got axed. Ramsey made it clear that it was always the intention to give fans some payoff to it, as he shared the following about what went down behind the scenes:
Fan: I’m really curious about how the Green Lantern thing came up at the end of the Arrow, if that was going to happen, or if that was added in because of fan speculation?
David Ramsey: Yeah, we only teased it for six years. There was a lot of things going on at Warner Bros. and DC, there were president changes and regime changes. So Marc Guggenheim and I and some other executives were regularly like, ‘Hey, we really want to push this Green Lantern thing to make it possible.’ So there are some executives in DC, and Warner Bros. said yes. Others have said no.
So each time, [when] you saw like Ernie Hudson, who came to play Colonel Stewart, who was John Stewart’s father, that was like a yes. And then there was, during [Elseworlds,] one of the Flashes said, ‘Hey, John, where’s your ring?’ Yeah, so that was another yes. So we’re in the process of something happening. Even in the finale, when there was a meteor in the end, we found a box. And then some other things happened. And then there were a string of Nos. And so ultimately, there was an episode of The Flash where, basically, now the consensus is known. What happened with Green Lantern: There was supposed to be a movie. And then there was a TV show and Greg Berlanti had Green Lantern. And then something happened with that. So there was a lot of politics around that property way above my head.
And so then Mr. James Gunn came, and obviously there’s a whole lot happening there, so I’m actually looking forward to that version. I can’t wait to see, but the answer [to] your question is yes, that was a real thing. But there were a lot of politics going on that were way above my head. There were Yeses and Nos and Yeses and Nos. And every time there was a yes reflected in writing, and every time it was a no, it reflected the writing.
What David Ramsey’s Green Lantern Comments Mean For The Arrowverse
Back whenthe Arrowverse showswere airing,there were a lot of challenges for the franchise due to the restrictions that Warner Bros.' film division was putting on the TV side when it came to what they could and couldn’t use in The CW dramas. With Green Lantern, that was an even more complicated aspect, especially while the DCEU was attempting to do aGreen Lantern Corpsmovie.
One of the takeaways from Ramsey’s comments is that,despite having a very successful interconnected DC TV universe, the Arrowverse still had to limit itself in many ways. It also showcases the chaos and miscommunication that was going on with Warner Bros. at the time, given how they went from approving and rejecting various Green Lantern pitches in the Arrowverse.
That is why, after all these years, it’s definitely satisfying to see thattheLanternsTV showis at least happening in James Gunn’s DCU franchise. Even if Ramsey’s Diggle never got the chance to properly suit up,the Emerald Knights are finally making a comeback in live-action.
Our Take On David Ramsey’s Green Lantern Comments
From Ramsey’s story alone about the complex dynamic between the Arrowverse and the studio,it definitely brings more appreciation for what the shows were allowed to do during their time on The CW. Even if he may have never been fully named John Stewart, Diggle was definitely a variation of that character for the Arrowverse.
Hearing Ramsey also being supportive ofLanternsis appreciated,as that show will finally get to explore John Stewart in live-action, along with a more comic-book accurate version of Hal Jordan. Despite never getting his Green Lantern due, it doesn’t erase Diggle’s great legacy in theArrowversefranchise.
Source: FAN EXPO Denver
Arrowverse
The Arrowverse is a shared universe centered on multiple television series airing on The CW and web series based on characters from DC Comics. It began with Arrow in 2012 and expanded to include shows like The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow, creating a vast interconnected narrative that includes numerous crossovers and parallel universes.
DC Universe
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Arrow
Cast
Arrow is a television series that debuted in 2012, featuring Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, a billionaire playboy who returns to Starling City after being stranded for five years. Transformed by his experience, Queen becomes a vigilante archer, aiming to purge his city of crime and corruption.
Lanterns
Lanterns: John Stewart and Hal Jordan, intergalactic law enforcers, unite in this series to investigate a murder mystery set in the American heartland, intertwining their efforts in the defense of Earth.
