Cancelled Superhero Films 7 - Green Arrow: Escape From Super Max

Introduction

Writers David Goyer and Justin Marks prepared a script for a Green Arrow that was later titled Green Arrow: Escape from Super Max. on June 5, 2008. Although this would be the first ever Green Arrow big screen adaptation, the film is not an origin story and plays out almost like a sequel to an unmade film.

The Story

In case you are unfamiliar with the Green Arrow, he is a teen billionaire playboy named Oliver Queen who gets stranded on a desert island. There, he learns how to survive on his own and becomes particularly skilled with a bow and arrow. A few years later, a pirate ship stops at the beach. Oliver overpowers the pirates and takes the ship back to civilization. Once back at his hometown of Star City, Oliver decides to use his skills for good and becomes the hooded vigilante, Green Arrow. He manages to capture countless super villains who are then kept locked up at Supermax, a prison for Metahumans.

The story begins with a grand dinner organized by Will Hacket, Oliver's lawyer and best friend to honour all of Oliver's philanthropy. His corporate organization is compared to a modern day Robin Hood and his Merry Men who battle the corrupt who prey on the poor in the city. Oliver learns from the device he uses to bug the police radio that there has been an  attack on Colonel Talib Calley. This is the man responsible for the controversial Check Me Initiative which is trying to get rid of masked vigilantes in the United States like Green Arrow who take the law into their own hands.

Oliver leaves the party and rushes to Calley's office and finds him already dead. The police arrive and arrest Oliver after suspecting him of killing the Colonel. The people of Star City are infuriated since they love both Green Arrow and Oliver Queen for the good they have done for the poor and the middle-class. However, the rich and the police hate him and the justice system imprisons him.

Since Oliver is not like any other prisoner, he is transferred to Supermax, which is the home of many super villains who are in there because of Green Arrow. The warden, Amanda Waller implants all the prisoners with a device that will weaken them if they disobey her in any way. The prisoners in green suits are normal human beings with unique skills, the ones in blue are super geniuses high on drugs to keep them high, and the ones in orange are Metahumans with superpowers. Due to some misbehaviour, Oliver is thrown into solitary confinement that almost breaks him. However, it is here that he gets to know Hartley Rathaway, also knows as the Pied Piper, who has the ability to control all living creatures using high sonic frequencies. They become friends by communicating through ants.

Oliver starts to befriend some of his fellow inmates and realizes that they are not purely evil but are forced to break the law to survive. Oliver begins to see that the US government is abusive towards Metahumans and Supermax breaks several civil rights through the way Waller and her guards treat the inmates. With Hartley's help, Oliver begins to recruit the inmates he befriends and they hatch a plan to break out of the prison.

Through much hardship, Oliver manages to lock Waller and her surviving guards up before escaping. However, he and his new friends accidentally destroy Supermax's security system, allowing each and every one of its inmates to escape. The film ends with Oliver questioning his morals since he has become responsible for much destruction that will take place around the world henceforth.

Conclusion

As you can see from the summary, it is not possible that this script will be ever made since it is very similar to Suicide Squad, which is also a film about many super villains. Nevertheless, an article by The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the film is still in development even though it was not featured in the line up of the DCEU's future projects. However, rumour has it that Warner Brothers executives are interested in a ia separate Green Arrow origin story, although this is yet to be confirmed.