The Rookie’s Nathan Fillion lands major role away from ABC drama

The Rookie star Nathan Fillion has been cast in a huge new role as part of the DCEU (DC Extended Universe).

Director James Gunn revealed the popular star will play Green Lantern Guy Gardner in the upcoming Superman: Legacy.

He joins a a star-studded cast, including The Politicians’ David Corenswet and The Amazing Mrs Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan, who will step into the iconic roles of Clark Kent, aka Superman, and Daily Planet reporter, Lois Lane.

James confirmed the casting on social media writing: “Hooray! Welcome to the Superman: Legacy cast, @isabelamerced as Hawkgirl, @iamedigathegi as Mister Terrific, and my old pal @nathanfillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner!”

Yesterday he further commented on the sheer scale of bringing the superhero flick, which is due to open in July 2025, to life.

“Superman: Legacy opens two years from today. It may seem far away to many of you, but it’s close to me!” he wrote.

“We have a lot to do between now and then. But I haven’t been more excited about a project in forever… and this cast, slowly coming together… holy cow…”

James and Nathan are old friends, and the star has appeared in nearly all of James’ movies, including his most recent offering Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 for Marvel Studios.

He played an elite security guard called Karja, who worked on a high-tech, organically grown medical space station called the Orgosphere.

Prior to this James had found ways to sneak him into the previous Guardians of the Galaxy offerings.

Writing on his Facebook in 2017 James explained the cunning way he managed to get his friend featured in Vol. 2 of the franchise in poster form.

“As many of you know one of my best friends in the world is Nathan Fillion. Along with Michael Rooker and Gregg Henry he’s been in every movie I’ve directed – even as a monstrous, perverted voice in Guardians of the Galaxy,” he said.

“I didn’t have a good cameo for him in Vol. 2 – and I wanted to bring him more fully into the MCU at some point, so I didn’t want to make him Aakon Guard #2, narrowing his chance of a more substantial role in the future.

“I really do love the character of Simon Williams/Wonder Man in the comics – a sometimes douchey actor/superhero – and could see Nathan clearly in that role (not because he’s a douchebag but because he’s great at playing one).

“But, of course, in a movie set 99.9% in space I didn’t really have a place for him.

“So in a small flash to earth I decided to put a theater playing a ‘Simon Williams Film Festival,’ with six Simon Williams movie posters outside.” The posters of course featured his friend Nathan.

Filming for Superman: Legacy will begin early next year but Nathan isn’t resting on his laurels until then.

It was recently announced that he had joined the cast of Skincare, an upcoming thriller starring Elizabeth Banks, Lewis Pullman, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez and Luis Gerardo Méndez.