Peter Sarsgaard May Play ‘Green Lantern’ Villain

Published by Jeff Leins on January 12, 2010

Peter Sarsgaard is in negotiations to play the villain in the Warner Bros/DC Comics movie Green Lantern.  Ryan Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern, Blake Lively is set to play the love interest Carol Ferris, and Martin Campbell is directing.

According to the Heat Vision Blog, Sarsgaard would play Hector Hammond, a pathologist and the disappointing son of a senator.  Hammond is called upon to perform the autopsy of Abin Sur, the Green Lantern who perishes on Earth and passes his intergalactic policeman powers to Hal Jordan (Reynolds).

In the process of the procedure, Hammond is exposed to a radioactive substance from the beast Legion and infused with psychic and telekinetic powers from an exponentially increasing mutant intellect.

The other major role for Warner Bros to cast is Sinestro, another member of the interstellar Green Lantern organization and a potential villain in future franchise installments.  Jackie Earle Haley was rumored for the part, but later the claims were refuted by Haley himself.

I’m loving this surge in Sarsgaard’s career.  The underrated actor absolutely killed it as the sly older lover in 2009’s An Education and has been a pleasant surprise in larger roles as of late.  The human villain of Green Lantern is certainly a step up and a welcome addition to a pair of already intriguing casting choices.

Green Lantern is set to shoot this March in New Orleans for a release on June 17, 2011.