Variety reports actress Angela Bassett has joined the cast of "Green Lantern" as Dr. Amanda Waller, sometimes referred to as "The Wall." The article described the character as "a government agent who's a staple of the DC Comics series."

Fans of ongoing DC Comics storylines will recognize Waller as the head of the Suicide Squad, Secretary of Metahuman Affairs during the Presidency of Lex Luthor, and the White Queen of secret organization Checkmate. Most recently, she has returned to the Suicide Squad. Created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne in the late 1980s, Waller is known to be particularly cold, calculating, and ruthless.

The character first appeared outside of comics in an on-going capacity on "Justice League Unlimited." In that series, Waller was the head of Project Cadmus. The organization's stated purpose was to counter the Justice League should it ever go rogue. The methods utilized by the project were less than noble, befitting Waller's "by any means necessary" approach. She was voiced by CCH Pounder, best known as Claudette Wyms on "The Shield."

More recently, Waller appeared in the form of Pam Grier in recent episodes of "Smallville." She first revealed herself to be an agent of Checkmate in the Geoff Johns' scripted "Absolute Justice." By the end of the story, she also indicated an involvement with that series' version of the Suicide Squad. Though shadowy, her intentions seemed fair as she cleared the Justice Society of America of government planted rumors that sent them underground.

Bassett joins Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong and Peter Sarsgaard in "Green Lantern," which is reportedly poised to ignite a rotating schedule of films starring various characters from the DC Comics stable.

The film has been in production under the direction of Martin Campbell since last Monday with a release date set for June 17th, 2011.