Ryan Reynolds cast as "Green Lantern"

Cast member Ryan Reynolds attends the premiere of the film "The Proposal" in Los Angeles June 1, 2009.

After an intense months-long search, Warner Bros. has chosen Ryan Reynolds to play the title character in "Green Lantern," the studio's live-action movie based on the DC Comics hero.

Reynolds and his representatives entered negotiations for the part Friday, after the studio held two rounds of screen tests for the actor, Bradley Cooper and Jared Leto. Justin Timberlake also did a screen test.

The film is being directed by Martin Campbell and produced by Donald De Line and Greg Berlanti.

One reason for the lengthy search process was that De Line, Campbell and the studio each had a different favorite among the finalists, making it difficult to come to a consensus.

If the deal is completed, it would make Reynolds the only actor to have played heroes for both Marvel and DC. He recently starred in a comic-book movie, 20th Century Fox's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," in which he played Deadpool, also known as the Merc with a Mouth. The character is being developed for a spin-off in which Reynolds will star. He also played Marvel's vampire hunter Hannibal King in "Blade: Trinity."

"Lantern" is Reynolds second stab at a DC Comics hero. A few years ago, he was attached to play the comic company's speedster "The Flash."

Review: `Proposal' says yes to rom-com cliches

In this film publicity image released by Touchstone Pictures, Ryan Reynolds, left, and Sandra Bullock, are shown in a scene from, 'The Proposal.'

All the romantic comedy conventions are shamelessly on parade in "The Proposal," trampling on our brains and turning them into mush.

They include an uptight character who literally lets her hair down to show she's loosening up, a spontaneous sing-along, wacky relatives, a shocking mid-wedding revelation, a mad dash to the airport and, finally, some very public I-love-yous.

Where is the creativity, people? By definition, this is a predictable genre — a guy and a girl who are clearly meant for each other eventually end up together, despite the many madcap obstacles and misunderstandings that come their way. We know the destination before we even park the car at the multiplex; it's how we get there that matters.

"The Proposal" seemed to be getting there with some spark and ingenuity, led by a couple of actors with solid comic chops. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds are both well suited for snappy banter and they play off each other with some nice friction off the top. Bullock has always shown a flair for physical humor, but here she gets a chance to play a scheming, tyrannical New York book editor, which is a refreshing change from her frequently daffy winsomeness.

But Anne Fletcher (who also directed the by-the-numbers "27 Dresses") and screenwriter Peter Chiarelli obliterate any good will they'd generated when "The Proposal" turns gushy, piles on the contrivances and goes precipitously downhill in the final act.

Bullock stars as Margaret Tate, a rigid Canadian who's on the verge of being deported. She blackmails her put-upon assistant, aspiring editor Andrew Paxton (Reynolds), into marrying her to stay in the country. Think they'll fall in love for real? In three days, no less? Perhaps in Sitka, Alaska, anything is possible.

That's where Andrew drags Margaret to meet his family to convince a persistent immigration official that they're a real couple. Some typical fish-out-of-water antics ensue. Margaret wears four-inch Christian Louboutin pumps and schleps her matching Louis Vuitton luggage for the weekend. She samples the local cuisine with horror. For her bachelorette party, Andrew's mom (Mary Steenburgen), grandmother (Betty White) and other family friends drag her to a bar for a little entertainment from a male stripper (Oscar Nunez, who has multiple functions on the island, none of which is terribly amusing).