DC Wanted Charlie Hunnam To Play Green Arrow, So Why Did He Turn It Down?
Charlie Hunnam was once asked to play the DC hero Green Arrow, according to a recent interview he gave to ComicBook.com. The "Rebel Moon" and "Sons of Anarchy" star doesn't specify which version of the bow and arrow-wielding hero he was approached about, but judging by how little he admits to knowing about the DC pantheon, that's not a surprise.
"I never talked to Zack [Snyder] about it," Hunnam told the outlet, recalling a story that, based on the haziness of the details, I'd venture to guess took place before the most recent James Gunn-led era of the DC cinematic universe. The question arose when an interviewer asked the actor, whose name has often come up as a popular fan cast choice for the role of Oliver Queen, if he had ever discussed the casting idea with Snyder. "Honestly, I don't remember who," he continued, noting that he did actually talk to someone about it at some point. He explained: "It was some people in suits [who] brought the idea to me and thought it would be terribly exciting for me to play Green Arrow, and I did not share their enthusiasm."
Hunnam was careful not to step on the toes of DC fans, saying, "I don't know who Green Arrow is, so I don't want to offend anyone." The hero has of course most famously been played by Stephen Amell in the CW's Arrowverse, but he's also popped up in "Smallville" with Justin Hartley in the role. Sounds like Green Arrow, who has never appeared in any DC feature films, could have almost been a part of the DC film universe at some point.
You probably won't see Hunnam in a superhero costume soon
When it comes to the reason Hunnam declined the role, it sounds like it was a gut instinct choice based solely on the character's aesthetics. "I looked at one picture and I was like, 'I'm not sure green's my color and I'm pretty sure spandex isn't my material,'" Hunnam admitted. "Beyond that, I was like, one image, 'Thanks, not interested.'" This may sound like a DC-specific dig, but take a quick glance at his filmography and it becomes clear that with the exception of "Pacific Rim" (the sequel to which Hunnam didn't appear in) and Snyder's upcoming "Rebel Moon" (which was not originally meant to be two parts), Hunnam seems to steer clear of franchises in general.
Hunnam's honesty here can be seen as either refreshing and hilarious or insulting, depending on how protective you feel over your favorite superhero, but either way, it's probably a good thing the actor turned down a part he wasn't into during an era of blockbusters that tends to ask its actors to show enthusiasm for all things spandex and superpowered. Fans probably wouldn't have been happy with a lead who didn't care much about Oliver Queen, and Hunnam was free to keep working on projects he liked better, cranking out movies like "The Lost City of Z" and "The True History of The Kelly Gang," not to mention the Apple TV series "Shantaram."
Now that they know Hunnam is a hard pass, DC fans are free to dream up even more possible casting choices for future incarnations of Green Arrow. If the hero does appear on the big screen, it might be a while: Gunn has Superman to think about first.