“Green Lantern” is a notable sore spot for Ryan Reynolds, who was set to usher in a new era for DC storytelling. Reports say that Hal Jordan’s cinematic debut lost Warner Bros. around $75 million, making it one of the biggest disasters in Reynolds’ career and destroying all hopes for a sequel. Reynolds believes the film flopped because the production focused too much on expensive special effects instead of character development. The picture was also released after films like “Iron Man” and “The Dark Knight” took the superhero genre in a new, bolder direction. Ultimately, “Green Lantern” felt like a relic from the past that didn’t understand what viewers wanted. Naturally, critics tore the film apart — it has a 25% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Reynolds later released “R.I.P.D” to similarly disappointing results. A buddy cop picture about deceased detectives who hunt supernatural forces, “R.I.P.D.” was poised to be competent summer fare for audiences in 2013. Based on the comic book of the same name, the film was expected to be the start of a prosperous franchise, but it reportedly lost the studio over $50 million. Reynolds’ comedy was released during an extremely crowded weekend, facing competition from “The Conjuring” and “Despicable Me 2” making the “Men in Black”-like film the least interesting picture for audiences. Word of mouth also wasn’t there as critics ripped it to shreds. Despite poor reviews, Reynolds’ supernatural flop defied the odds and dominated Netflix in 2023.
After his almost career-ending financial misfires, Reynolds took a much-needed break from the genre, before reemerging with his biggest moneymaker.
