Glenn Howerton Is Still Up For Playing A Superhero, And Patton Oswalt Has A Perfect Suggestion
Today, audiences know Chris Pratt as the space-criminal-turned-superhero Star-Lord from Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise. However, if that casting didn't work out for whatever reason, director James Gunn has previously said that "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star Glenn Howerton would have been his second choice to take the role. In the years since, we haven't heard if Howerton has attempted to snag any of the other superhero roles that have been kicked around Hollywood, but that doesn't mean he isn't interested.
When we got an opportunity to chat with the actor in conjunction with the upcoming release of the fourth season of the comedy series "A.P. Bio" on Peacock (debuting next week), we asked Glenn Howerton if he's still up for taking on a comic book movie role. The short answer is yes, if only because it gives him a reason to keep going to the gym. To sweeten the deal, "A.P. Bio" co-star Patton Oswalt had the perfect suggestion for the superhero Howerton should play, but it's not in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
"Why Else Am I Going to the Gym?"
Even though Howerton didn't get the role of Peter Quill/Star-Lord in "Guardians of the Galaxy," he still thinks it would be "super, super fun" to join the cast of a superhero movie. Howerton said:
"Listen, why else am I going to the gym? I guess that's my question. That's a question that I ask myself everytime I go. Why am I doing it? What am I doing? There's not a single character that I've ever played that calls for this. You know what I mean? I guess I'm doing it because I'm trying to be healthy. But let's be honest, why am I really doing it? The reason I'm really doing it is in case I have to do something where I take my shirt off. I would love to do a Marvel character, because it would justify all the years in the gym. If for no other reason than to just be like, "Yes, look, I've done it." I want to be able to take my shirt off and just be covered in oil or grease or whatever the hell they put on themselves to have it all down-lit where all the shadows are there. Man, who wouldn't want that?"
Patton Oswalt chimed in to double down on Glenn Howerton's true motivation. The comedian said, "Glenn did not study acting so that he couldn't starve himself for three days, water-fast 12 hours before the shot, slam a Diet Coke so that your veins get really pumped, take the shot, and then pass out. That's why we do those shots. That's why you get into acting."
Howerton confirmed, "That's why you do it. That's why I went to Juilliard."
In all seriousness, Patton Oswalt did have a genuinely great suggestion for a superhero who would be perfect for Glenn Howerton to play.
Want to See Glenn Howerton as Green Lantern?
Knowing Howerton's ambitions to get greased up with his shirt off as a comic book superhero, we asked Patton Oswalt, with his wealth of comic book knowledge, which superhero his co-star should play. Oswalt didn't hesitate with his answer and said:
"There's actually a character in the DC universe that would be perfect for him. It's not the Hal Jordan Green Lantern but the Guy Gardner Green Lantern. He would be amazing. The whole idea — this would be so brilliant, and if they did it they would have another 'Deadpool' on their hands — the whole point of being the Green Lantern is that you have to be without fear and completely honest. That's the only way you can wear the ring. Having no fear and being completely honest doesn't necessarily mean you're a good person. So the second Green Lantern is a guy named Guy Gardner, who is genuinely afraid of nothing and completely honest, like, "Oh hey, you gained some weight, dude." He doesn't understand that there's things you shouldn't do. But he's also an awesome Green Lantern. He's the best one because he truly doesn't have any of that fear. And Glenn would be amazing playing that. The Guardians [of the Universe] are like, "I don't really know if we made the ring for this reason, but he is the best Green Lantern?" So that would be an amazing character to play."
Howerton immediately sounded up for the role, saying, "Let's pitch it." Hitting the nail squarely on the head, Oswalt concluded by adding, "If DC wants a 'Deadpool,' they gotta do Guy Gardner with Glenn Howerton. That's your movie right there."
Unfortunately, HBO Max is already working on a "Green Lantern" TV series that has Finn Wittrock playing Guy Gardner, so we're not likely to see this come together anytime soon. If the series doesn't work out and Warner Bros. Pictures wants to bring Green Lantern back to the big screen, someone better give Glenn Howerton a call. In the meantime, you can see Howerton in comic book villain mode in the film "Archenemy," available on all digital platforms now.
Come back next week for our full interview with Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt about the fourth season of "A.P. Bio," arriving on Peacock on September 3, 2021.