I wrote up some of these casting picks a while back. While I've since become unsure of some of them - the casting for Hal and particularly Sinestro - I thought I'd still post them here in light of these new developments:
HAL JORDAN: MATT DAMON
Is Matt Damon my dream casting choice for Hal Jordan? No. That would be Nathan Fillion. However, we have to look at this realistically. One strategy Marvel Studios has cleverly employed this year is backing up their films with a powerhouse cast of well-known actors. The less well-known the superhero, the more important it is to have a bankable star as your frontman. And Matt Damon is, officially, the best value for money in Hollywood, in terms of how many dollars his films make for every dollar he earns. He's got the winning combination of being popular AND talented, making him a highly desirable name to have headlining on a "Green Lantern" poster. Plus, he's shown with his work in the "Bourne" trilogy that he can more than handle the physical side of a character like Green Lantern. The only setback I could see is that, after both the "Bourne" series and the "Ocean's" series, Matt Damon could be suffering from franchise-faigue, and might be unwilling to commit to a multi-picture deal.
CAROL FERRIS - MICHELLE MONAGHAN
Funnily enough, the highly-talented Michelle Monaghan is also my top choice to play Catwoman. I must have Michelle on the brain. But should she not make the cut for Selina, she's more than able to take on the role of Carol Ferris.
SINESTRO - JAVIER BARDEM
Another casting choice which, at first glance, seems unusual. Javier Bardem lacks the "big forehead" that a lot of people seem to find essential in picking an actor for Sinestro. However, thinking this through objectively, like a director wanting to produce a money-making film would, Javier Bardem becomes a smart choice. In casting Green Lantern's nemesis, you have to think of someone who's an interesting match for the actor playing your hero, you need to devise a pairing which creates intrigue. Like Robert Downey Jr and Jeff Bridges, Ed Norton and Tim Roth, or Christian Bale and Heath Ledger. Javier Bardem is hot off an Oscar win for his terrifying performance in "No Country For Old Men", and I'd certainly be interested to see how 2007's best villain plays off against 2007's best hero - Jason Bourne himself, Matt Damon. Plus, I've always envisioned Sinestro to have a certain foreign, European vibe to him, which the Spaniard Bardem could capture nicely.
KILOWOG - RAY WINSTONE
I don't know if Kilowog would be brought to life through CGI or through Hellboy-style prosthetics. Either way, I think the guy to play him would be Ray Winstone. For some reason, I think his voice would just be such a nice fit for the character!
HECTOR HAMMOND - DAVID STRAITHAIRN
In assembling together the leading actors of "Green Lantern", my main priority is in trying to get together as strong a group of actors as possible. An ensemble that, if I saw all their names lined up above a film poster, I'd instantly want to see that movie, regardless of what the film itself was. And so, to complete this suggested ensemble, I'd add the long-underrated David Straithairn. With Sinestro on the slow-boil to villainy, it seems that for this film, the main threat aside from Legion (who I imagine would be a CGI creation), will be Hector Hammond. Straithairn's worked before with Damon - on "The Bourne Ultimatum" - but I'd still be excited about seeing the two clash again.
