After the failure of the 2011 Green Lantern, Warner Bros. attempted a fresh start with their DC film universe. Zack Snyder was chosen as the man to jump-start the DC’ Extended Universe’ with his Superman reboot Man of Steel (2013), followed by Batman V Superman (2016) and then with Justice League (2017). 

Several other directors like David F. Sandberg, Patty Jenkins, and James Wan were brought in to bring their visions to Shazam (2019), Wonder Woman (2019), and Aquaman (2018), respectively. 

Now, it appears that Mission Impossible Fallout director Christopher McQuarrie was also in talks to direct sequels related to the two DC’s properties: Green Lantern and Superman. 

Mcquarrie’s Green Lantern Pitch Tied-In With Man of Steel Sequel

When asked by a fan on Twitter about the director’s possible involvement with the Green Lantern Project, McQuarrie implied (the tweet has now been deleted) that his idea for the Green Lantern reboot would have tied-in with a sequel to Man of Steel. 

Too complicated to explain. It tied into the Superman movie that Cavill and I were proposing. No takers.

The studios have never cared for my original ideas. They prefer that I fix their broken ones.

— Christopher McQuarrie (@chrismcquarrie) July 5, 2019

This reply sparked more conversations, and Mcquarrie eventually revealed that his Green Lantern pitch was a fleshed-out idea while his Man of Steel sequel was a more of a simple pitch. 

Green Lantern was a written proposal. Superman was a pitch.

— Christopher McQuarrie (@chrismcquarrie) July 5, 2019

However, the director didn’t get to work in either of the projects. 

How McQuarrie’s ‘Green Lantern’ and ‘Superman: Man Of Steel 2’ Might Have Tied-in?

Given the fact that the Green Lantern is primarily an intergalactic plot, it certainly seems like McQuarrie Superman sequel was planned to be more intergalactic―as opposed to the first film which mainly took place on Earth. 

The planned sequel could have explored more on Superman’s adventures outside of Earth where he would eventually be caught in missions that involved some members of the Green Lantern Corps. 

Interestingly enough, McQuarrie’s initial Green Lantern proposal to Warner Bros. might have been the starting point of rumors about Tom Cruise playing Hal Jordan in the reboot. 

Tom Cruise is a frequent collaborator with McQuarrie. The director has worked with Cruise in Jack Reacher (2012), Mission Impossible Rogue Nation (2015), and Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018).

McQuarrie was also involved as a part of the writing team in Tom Cruise projects such as Valkyrie (2008), Edge of Tomorrow (2014), and The Mummy (2017), 

The famous director is also working on the script of Cruise’s upcoming movie, Top Gun: Maverick (2021). 

In January 2019, McQuarrie signed a deal with Paramount Pictures to direct Mission Impossible 7 and Mission Impossible 8. The two movies are set to be released on November 19, 2021, and November 4, 2022, respectively.