Published Aug 4, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT
Derek is the Training Lead for ScreenRant. Before his current position, he spent 20 years working in games, TV, and film while also writing for several entertainment sites.
Derek is also the co-host of three pop culture podcasts: Across the Omniverse, The Bad Batch, and Watch Men.
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Much to the chagrin of people who had already cast the role in their minds, Alan Ritchson made it clear in no uncertain terms that he will not be Batman in the DCU. But as the Reacher star broke the hearts of fans, he also gave them some hope, saying that he is talking to DC Studios co-head James Gunn about another role. And while Ritchson looks like he was built in a lab to play the Dark Knight, there are other DC heroes he could be perfect for. But why limit the actor to being on the side of the angels? There are plenty of DC villains Ritchson could play as well.
While he's reached a new level of fame with Reacher, Ritchson has shown that he can be much more than a stoic figure who just beats the tar out of bad guys. Before he became the face of Lee Child's most well-known creation, the actor spent a fair amount of time making comedies, showing up in the less than stellar movie Fired Up! and playing the breakout character Thad Castle in Blue Mountain State. He's also played superheroes in the past, showing up on Smallville as Aquaman and playing Hawk on Titans, as well as Raphael in the Michael Bay produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies. It's obvious that Ritchson has range that would make him a solid option for a few different DC characters outside of the Caped Crusader.
Alan Ritchson Has The Size To Be Orion
Coming in at six-foot-three and clearly built like a brick wall, Alan Ritchson is, to be blunt, a big guy. And with the height and muscles comes some squinty eyes and a jaw that every superhero dreams of having. To look at Ritchson, it wouldn't be hard to imagine him talking to a Mother Box and sporting an Astro Harness as Orion of the New Gods.
The son of Darkseid who was raised by the High Father, Orion is a tank of a man who is filled with endless rage that is always simmering just under the surface. He battles against his father's armies while fearing that he will end up being just like his daddy. And, being a creation of Jack Kirby, you know there's plenty of pathos and drama to mine from the character.
With Tom King and Mitch Gerads' Mister Miracle comic being turned into an animated series, Orion will need to be cast soon, and Ritchson could be the perfect choice. And while Reacher's fifth season started filming in July 2026, the star won't have time to play Orion in front of a camera for a while, but he can surely record some audio to help set him up for future live action appearances.
Alan Ritchson Play Hawk, Now He Can Be Hawkman
For many DC fans, Alan Ritchson first came on their radar when he played Hawk in the Titans TV series. And while Hawk, whose real name is Hank Hall, isn't actually related to Hawkman, whose real name is Carter Hall, are shockingly not related, they sure share a lot of similarities that go beyond the names. Both characters are often portrayed as being overly serious and angry fellas who prefer punching things over talking, which, in itself, isn't that different from how Ritchson plays Reacher.
And with James Gunn's love for the Keith Giffen J. M. DeMatteis Justice League International years, the Grand Poobah of DC's movies and shows may be looking for someone who can bring some comedy to Hawkman. In the JLI stories that Hawkman showed up in, which weren't that many, he was played as a sanctimonious straightman who was disgusted by the goofy actions of characters like Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. In live-action, that kind of character would require an actor with solid comedic timing to pull it off. With his work in comedies, Ritchson has shown he can bring that skill to the table while looking perfect for the part.
Alan Ritchson As Mongul Would Be A Believable Threat To David Corenswet's Superman
Along with being a heck of an actor who truly gets what makes Superman special, David Corenswet's height helps make him a perfect choice for the world's original superhero. But this also creates a problem: there aren't many actors who can believably stand next to Corenswet and look like a true physical threat. The first Superman got around this problem by having Superman fight a clone of himself, and Man of Tomorrow will have Supes face off against the super genius of Brainiac as well as Lex Luthor in his Warsuit. But what then?
Mongul is one of the few beings in the universe who can challenge Superman in a brawl, but to really pull it off, Gunn and company will need a very big, very muscular actor to take on the role — as well as some CGI help to make him look like he's 10 feet tall. Alan Ritchson has the height and build to look like a serious threat to Corenswet's Superman even without the help of special effects. Paint him yellow, and it would look like Mongul is standing there even before the post-production teams get their hands on the footage.
Alan Ritchson Already Has Experience Playing Aquaman
Now that his dream has come true and Jason Momoa is Lobo, there's an opening for DC's King of the Seven Seas, and Alan Ritchson could fill that role perfectly. He already looks like Aquaman, which is evidenced by him previously playing Aquaman on Smallville. And while that version of the character may not have been perfect, it does mean that Ritchson has some familiarity with the role, which could help him prepare to take on a new version.
If Ritchson was cast to be the new Aquaman, it would also bring the character closer to his comic book roots. Momoa's take on the character was a lot of fun — there's a reason the first movie made a billion dollars — but fans would like to see something closer in personality to the Aquaman they know and love. Ritchson could bring that element back, giving Aquaman the more serious feel that is represented in the comics. At the same time, Ritchson isn't afraid to have some fun, which would ensure that his Aquaman wouldn't be overly serious and become a one-note character.
Alan Ritchson Could Whip The Green Lanterns Into Shape As Kilowog
The Green Lantern Corps needs someone who can whip their cadets into shape before sending them off to patrol sectors of space, and in the comics, that job mainly belongs to the Bolovaxian called Kilowog. While his gruff exterior and drill sergeant style make Kilowog seem like a hard-as-nails taskmaster at first, his soft side always comes out sooner or later, showing the Lanterns he trains that he really cares about them.
As Jack Reacher, Alan Ritchson has played a major in the U.S. Army who ran his own team. He also shows that he has a soft side by helping random people. And, like Kilowog, he's a tank of a being who can surely scare the heck out of any poozers who try to show off. While playing Kilowog would mean that Ritchson wouldn't really be seen — the character would have to be done with CGI — that isn't new to the actor. Playing Raphael in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action movies of the 2010s, it was Ritchson's voice that carried the weight of the role. He can pull it off again, and get to be a Green Lantern to boot! Plus, who wouldn't love to see Aaron Pierre and Alan Ritchson share a scene or two?
Alan Ritchson's Despero Would Be Brains And Brawn Combined
To look at Despero, one may not think he's all that smart. After all, this is a giant red alien who, aside from a cape, is often walking around naked. But he is large, has a cool third eye in the center of his head and also sports an awesome fin on the top of his dome. But, most importantly, he isn't just super strong, he's seriously intelligent. Despero has outsmarted the Justice League on more than one occasion, takiing the team down and teaching them a little humility.
Any actor who plays Despero needs to be able to show off the muscles and give audiences the idea that there's more going on behind the eyes. Alan Ritchson has that ability, making him a perfect candidate. It wouldn't be hard to imagine Ritchson being a serious threat to the League, even with the fin and cape. But, to keep any movies he would show up in, this version of Despero would probably have to wear some pants.
Alan Ritchson + White Face Paint = Solomon Grundy
Born on a Monday, did some stuff, and died on a Saturday, Solomon Grundy is one of DC's most tragic figures. Sometimes a villain, sometimes a man who just wants to be left alone, Grundy is a character that can show up as different versions of himself over the years, making each appearance unpredictable. To pull this off in a movie or TV show, there needs to be a solid actor taking the role on. Alan Ritchson has proven that he can play angry, sad, and childish, which are pretty much the elements that make for a good Solomon Grundy.
A character like Solomon Grundy would also let Ritchson show off a bit more. Yes, the character is a brute who doesn't talk much, but he is one that, when done well, the audience will feel for, even as he's trying to pop the hero's head like a pimple. Ritchson can reach deep down and bring out that side of himself, letting the world see a part of him that he doesn't get to show off as often as he gets to display his tough guy elements.
Alan Ritchson May Be The Perfect Shazam
Zachary Levi played Shazam in the last live-action take on the DC Universe, and he did a great job at it. But now that leadership has changed hands and (almost) everything is starting fresh, a new actor will be needed if the Big Red Cheese is going to show up again, and Alan Ritchson may be the perfect fit. Ritchson has the dramatic and comedic chops to play the role, and as grizzled as his face can look, he also has a childish grin and, when he's clean-shaven, a bit of a boyish face. But there's one thing that would really make him work in the role...
The biggest problem with Levi's Shazam was the muscle padding. It made sense why they wanted the character to be so buff - he's Earth's Mightiest Mortal after all - but Levi, while being in amazing shape, didn't have the otherworldly build that Shazam would require. Ritchson has that build. Dye his hair jet black and put him in a red suit with a big yellow lightning bolt on the chest, and you've got the original Captain Marvel looking back at you. He even has the squinty eyes that artist C.C. Beck gave the character.
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Birthdate November 28, 1982
Birthplace Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States
Height 6 feet 2 inches
Notable Projects Reacher, Titans, Fast X
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First Film Man of Steel
First TV Show Peacemaker
Cast Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Zachary Levi, Dwayne Johnson, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor, Idris Elba, John Cena, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Xolo Mariduena
Character(s) Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Shazam, Darkseid, Amanda Waller, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Black Canary, Black Adam
Created by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
Movie(s) Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, Zack Snyder's Justice League, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Shazam! The Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, Superman, The Brave and the Bold
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
English (US) ·