Is Ryan Reynolds The New Sam Worthington?

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It’s got to be nice to be Ryan Reynolds these days. He’s still shooting Green Lantern, the big budget version of DC Comics’ successful space cop superhero, with a sequel script already in the works and talk of a third film to be shot at the same time as the second, he’s attached to movie versions of both RIPD (as a supernatural cop) and Marvel’s Deadpool (as an insane cop… No, wait, I mean insane assassin), and now he’s apparently about to be offered the lead in spy thriller Safe House opposite Denzel Washington. Quite where he’ll find the time to do all of this, I have no idea – and there are already rumors that Deadpool, at least, may not be happening – but it does make me wonder: Is Ryan Reynolds the new Sam Worthington?

Sure, it seems like an odd question now, with Worthington’s career apparently in silent running mode, but this time last year he seemed to be everywhere, with roles in Terminator Salvation, Avatar and Clash of The Titans, plus rumors that he’d be in everything from Captain America and John Carter of Mars to Dan Dare and Flash Gordon – Anything, in fact, that required a square-jawed science fiction hero – and seemed to be cementing a future as an A-list mainstream movie star. Twelve months and varying box office results later (We can call Terminator Salvation a flop now, right?), of course, his future looks a little less rosy (Dracula Year Zero, Sam? Really?), and his star seems to have faded to be replaced by Reynolds.

(Here’s something I’m curious about, however: How did Chris Pine end up avoiding this kind of thing? He was Captain Kirk, everyone loved him, and then he pretty much went off to do whatever he wanted without embracing the overwhelming nerd love/expectation/speculation that comes with that kind of role. I’m sure he should’ve been a Nerd Poster Actor at some point after Star Trek appeared.)

Of course, if Green Lantern is a massive hit, Ryan’ll be set for the next few years – To his benefit and detriment, because I can’t see Warners being too lenient with his schedule if they really want to have a new Lantern every year, as rumored, so hello, potential typecasting – but I can’t help but hope that he escapes Sam’s fate, for some reason. Maybe it’s because I’m a Green Lantern fan and have that odd fan protectiveness over anyone involved in supporting the character… or perhaps it’s simply that I think that anyone who’s starred in Van Wilder deserves some success, goddammit.

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