The belovedDC Comicscharacter Green Arrow is currently thriving on the small screen, with The CW’s hit seriesArrowstarting its fourth season earlier this month. Years before that show ever debuted, though, Warner Bros. was developing a big screen version entitledGreen Arrow: Escape From Super Maxback in 2008.David S. GoyerandJustin Markswrote the screenplay, but just one year later, thesuperheroproject was put on indefinite hold, and it still hasn’t seen the light of day.
The story featuredGreen Arrowgetting framed for murder and sent to prison, as he sets out to plan his escape. During a new interview with Den of Geek,David S. Goyershed some light on this project, which would have featured a slew ofDC Comicsvillains, much like the upcomingSuicide Squad. Cameos from Lex Luthor, The Riddler and The Joker were being discussed before the project got shut down, butDavid S. Goyerrevealed it would have been nothing likeSuicide Squad. Here’s what he had to say, when asked if he thought theGreen Arrow: Escape From Super Maxscript was ahead of its time.
“I think it absolutely was. I think if that script had come over the transom a couple of years later… It was completely ahead of its time. By the way, everything I see aboutSuicide Squadlooks fantastic and it’s a different story. But it was absolutely ahead of its time. You know,Marvelwas considering doing the Sinister Six and at the time, God, I think this was eight or nine years ago that we wrote a couple of drafts, but it certainly was like this oddball project at Warner Bros at the time, they were like - even though the script was good - ‘why would we make a movie about a bunch of villains? That makes no sense.'”
Back in 2008,David S. Goyeralready hadBatman BeginsandThe Dark Knightunder his belt, andJustin Marks’ first feature filmStreet Fighter: Legend of Chun-Licame out the next year.David S. Goyerwent on to writeThe Dark Knight RisesandMan of Steel, while creating the Starz TV showDa Vinci’s Demonsand executive producingConstantine.Justin Markswent on to write Disney’s upcomingThe Jungle Bookand the gestating sequelTop Gun 2. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem likeGreen Arrow: Escape From Super Maxwill ever happen.
“The executive on it was really visionary, but the higher-ups, none of whom are at Warner Bros any more, just thought at the time, you know, we just want to makeBatmanand Superman movies. We don’t want to make any other characters. But this is beforeMarvelhad really taken off, before more obscure projects likeGuardians of the GalaxyorAnt-Manor things like that had huge success, before the current gold rush I guess, if you will. It’s natural that eventually someone was going to make a villain movie, so that’s just what happened!”
David S. Goyeralso confirmed that he has no plans to direct any of the upcoming DC Comics movies that are being developed by Warner Bros. Since Warner Bros. and DC are keeping their movie and TV universes separate,Green Arrow: Escape From Super Maxcould still exist without interfering with The CW’sArrow, but it seems that ship has sailed. Would you have gone out to seeGreen Arrow: Escape From Super Maxif it ever debuted in theaters? Let us know what you think, and stay tuned for an updates on the DC movie universe.
