Blake Lively cast as Carol Ferris in Martin Campbell's Green Lantern.

I'm of two minds about this. On one hand, Blake Lively is a pretty solid actress. I've never watched Gossip Girl, so I can't judge her from that popular series. But I can say that she was quite terrific in her debut film, The Sisterhood of the the Traveling Pants. Yes, she is a knock out and that hasn't hurt her career, but she has the chops if the material is worth her while. And she apparently impressed not just with her audition, but with her work in Ben Affleck's next film, The Town. After Gone Baby Gone, I'm officially a big fan of director Ben Affleck).

Still, there is something a little predictable about the youngest, most pop-culture hot actress getting cast. Hal Jordan is theoretically going to be about the same age as Ryan Reynolds (33 years-old), so there is something equally disappointing about yet another quasi-May/December romance, especially when Lively (22 years-old) was the only one of the five finalists who wasn't about the same age as Reynolds. For the record, the other finalists where Eva Green (29), Jeniffer Garner (37), Diane Kruger (33), and Keri Russell (33). Right or wrong (and this is not a judgment against Lively), the obvious age discrepancy is slightly disconcerting.

Having said all that, I trust Martin Campbell. He's made my two favorite modern James Bond films (Goldeneye and Casino Royale) and my all-time favorite superhero adventure (The Mask of Zorro) And the age difference here isn't all that much more than the ages of the romantic leads in The Mask of Zorro or Goldeneye. Even when he casts actresses that are younger than the male leads, they at least look like women and not young girls. So, for the moment, I shall merely congratulate Blake Lively and remember that I was hoping she'd break out back in June, 2005. So, mazel tov Ms Blakely. Good luck and try not to end up crammed in a refrigerator.

Scott Mendelson