Reacher Star Alan Ritchson Teases DCU Move — Just Don’t Expect Batman
Reacher star Alan Ritchson says he’s had conversations with DC chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran about joining the rebooted universe — and while it won’t be Batman, the former Smallville Aquaman and Titans Hawk is clearly ready for another cape.
Alan Ritchson knows you keep fancasting him as Batman. He also knows exactly what he wants to do in James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU — and it is not the clean-cut hero gig.
Where this started
Ritchson told ScreenRant he has been in real conversations about joining the new DC universe. Ever since the Gunn/Safran DCU got rolling in late 2024, his name has been a constant in the Batman rumor mill. He shut that down without saying it outright: he is aiming for something messier, possibly even a villain.
'Yes. That's the conversation that I've been having with them is like, 'I want to play somebody a little messier.' ... If I'm going to do this, I described to them the kind of personality that I'd want to play and what that would mean to their world... So yes, I want to play somebody a little dirtier than your typical clean-cut protagonist.'
Quick refresher on Ritchson's DC and TV resume
- He is the lead of Prime Video's Reacher, which put him on a lot of superhero shortlists overnight.
- He has already lived in DC land: he played Arthur Curry/Aquaman in a handful of Smallville episodes.
- Later, he starred as Hank Hall/Hawk on Titans, and that Hawk version crossed over into Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow.
So if not Batman... what?
That is the part nobody is saying out loud yet. The vibe he described — 'a little messier,' 'a little dirtier' — points away from the tux-and-gravel-voice archetype and closer to an antihero or outright bad guy. The tricky part is timing. A few DCU projects that fans bring up a lot feel unlikely for him right now: Clayface, Lanterns, and Supergirl are already deep into development and due out next year. Could they have slipped him in quietly? In 2025, when set photos leak every other Tuesday, that would be one impressive magic trick.
The status right now
No official announcement from James Gunn, DC Studios, or Warner Bros. Pictures. Just confirmed talks, a clear preference for a grittier character, and a lot of guessing until somebody posts a call sheet. This all first popped via Brandon Schreur's report at SuperHeroHype.