Jon Hamm Approached to Play DC Superhero Green Lantern

In an alternate universe, Jon Hamm played Green Lantern in the 2011 film rather than Ryan Reynolds.

The actor, best-known for his role as brilliant advertising executive Don Draper in Mad Men , was approached by Warner Bros. to star in Green Lantern . He turned them down, however, as he details in a new interview.

“You passed on Green Lantern , did you not?” asks The Hollywood Reporter. “That was one I definitely didn’t want to do,” Hamm replies. “But I’ve pitched myself for a couple parts of the Marvel universe, I don’t want to say what exactly, but it was a part of a comic book that I really liked. I was like, ‘Are you going to do this story?’ And they were like, ‘Yeah, we’re actually thinking of that.’ I go, ‘Good. I should be the guy.’

Hamm doesn’t divulge exactly what Marvel role he pitched himself for, but with his leading-man looks, he could probably play anyone. As he said later in the interview, however, Hamm is just as up for the esoteric roles, looking to Jeff Goldblum as inspiration.

“I look at a guy like Jeff Goldblum’s career…and I’m just like, ‘God, how awesome to be able to do all the things he’s done.’ He had his leading man phase, and he does Marvel and he’ll just roll through and steal the scene, and then he’s doing commercials and he’s funny….So, consciously or not, I’m modeling my life to be that: varied and happy and fulfilled.

There’s a DC Green Lantern series in production with Damon Lindelof , and that probably won’t star Jon Hamm either.