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James Gunn says he jokingly asked Ryan Reynolds to return as Green Lantern after he and Safran were put in charge of the new DCU.

“Ryan doesn’t give a shit (laughs). One of the first people I spoke to after I got the job was Ryan Reynolds. I’m like, ‘Are you coming back?’ He was like, “Get out of here.” I’m kidding! I didn’t really tell him to come back,” Gunn said on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast.

Reynolds played Hal Jordan aka Green Lantern in the 2011 pre-DCEU film of the same name directed by James Bond franchise helmer Martin Campbell, which was both a critical and commercial failure. The film was originally intended to kick off the DCEU before the sequel was canceled and the studio decided to use Man of Steel as the first DCEU film instead. However, four years later, Reynolds found success as Wade Wilson aka Deadpool in the 2016 Marvel film – which later became canon in the MCU.

The Green Lantern, of course, is coming to Gunn and Safran’s DCU in the form of a TV show called Lanterns. The upcoming series will be a True Detective take on the DC hero, starring Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, who is tasked with mentoring a younger Lantern, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). They investigate an Earthbound murder that has far greater implications.

There is no release date for Lanterns yet. Creature Commandos, the first official DCU TV series, is now streaming on Max. For more information, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows you need to know about.