Well, the rumours and counter-rumours are flying around like a corps of Green Lanterns on their way to smash the Anti-Monitor. No sooner do Hitfix reignite the Jackie-Earle-Haley-for-Sinestro rumour, than Green Lantern's director Martin Campbell flatly shoots it down for MTV.*
"That's completely wrong," says Campbell of Haley. "Someone told me that this morning and I'd never heard it before in my life." Campbell it seems, has somebody else firmly in mind. "We're in negotiations with Mark Strong to play Sinestro," he says. "He's not only a wonderful actor but he looks very like Sinestro."
Not sure if that's a compliment or not, but if Strong ends up being cast as the magenta-hued ex-lantern it'll be yet one more step along his road to Total Blockbuster Domination. We just saw him in Sherlock Holmes; he's playing Sir Godfrey in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood; he's mobster Frank D'Amico in Kick-Ass; and he's the hero's nemesis Matai Shang in John Carter of Mars.
We wonder if that latter film will throw a spanner in the works: Shang, like Sinestro, is a character that begins modestly but is set to build in a series of planned sequels. Would committing to arch nemeses in two huge franchises over a number of years prove untenable? Your thoughts below.
*He also confirms that Green Lantern is going to be so utterly fanboy friendly that it even includes a role for alien pig Lantern trainer Kilowog! Joy!