Reacher Star Alan Ritchson Reveals He Lost a Major Marvel Superhero Role

Thanks to his compelling performance in Reacher, as well as his impressive physical stature, actor Alan Ritchson has been endorsed by fans to take on a number of iconic superhero roles, with Ritchson recently recalling how he was nearly cast as Thor for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor even claimed that he was told the part was essentially his, though by not investing as much in his performance for an audition, the role would instead go to Chris Hemsworth, largely based on the performing aspect he brought to the opportunity. While Ritchson would go on to play Hawk in the DC series Titans, he also revealed he initially attempted to play Nightwing.

"I didn't take it seriously," Ritchson revealed to Men's Health about his Thor audition. "I was like, 'They'll throw me the part if I look like the guy; nobody really cares about acting.'" The outlet also noted, "After the audition, the casting cabal told his team the role had been his to lose but he hadn't shown that he had 'the craft.'"

Ritchson's debut performance in the world of superheroes came in Smallville, where he starred as Aquaman. Years later, he attempted to return to the world of DC as Dick Grayson for Titans, an experience he approached with more confidence than his Thor audition. 

"I was so confident. I was like, 'This is the best damn audition I've ever had in my life. There's no way they can do this show without me,'" the actor admitted. Rather than losing the role due to his performance, it was reportedly due to being too old for the version of the character the show had in mind.

While Robert Pattinson is playing the Caped Crusader in The Batman II, there is an opening for someone to take on the role of The Dark Knight for James Gunn's DC Studios franchise, with no casting having yet been announced for The Brave and The Bold. Ritchson recently reflected on fan campaigns to get him to play the iconic hero.

"As huge as this rumor mill is, I feel like this part should be offered on a silver platter at this point," Ritchson joked to ComicBook.com. "I would love to play Batman. But, I'm not yet Batman. I don't know what Gunn's approach is gonna be. But, yeah, that'd be great. He's one of the most iconic characters."

Stay tuned for updates on Ritchson's possible future in the world of superheroes.

What do you think of the actor's remarks? Let us know in the comments!