Alan Ritchson appears to be waiting for the right DC Studios role—and his comments suggest the studio may have already offered him one that failed to meet his high standards.
The “Reacher” star addressed his possible DC future during a new appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, where he was asked about the persistent campaign to cast him as Batman. Ritchson appeared on the July 23 episode while promoting his nearly dialogue-free revenge thriller, “Motor City” (read our review).
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Horowitz said he had spoken with James Gunn, who is apparently a major admirer of Ritchson, and asked whether the actor might play Batman or another character in Gunn’s developing DC Universe.
“There’s so much to unpack here that you don’t even know,” Ritchson teased about his many conversations with Gunn. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”
Ritchson then acknowledged that he and Gunn have discussed working together, but his wording appeared to suggest that finding the appropriate project—or perhaps rejecting an earlier possibility—has been the obstacle.
“I really respect James. I would like to do something with James. James would like to do something with me, but my litmus test for what I will take is strict,” he stressed. “I pick the shit out of projects. I know how to develop a project, and anything I do with DC will still meet my standards, right? It’ll have to meet my standards.”
While Ritchson did not explicitly say that he had rejected a formal offer, his emphasis on what he “will take,” paired with the disclosure that there have already been numerous discussions, certainly makes it sound as though at least one DC possibility has crossed his desk without moving forward.
Horowitz then suggested that Ritchson wanted a seat at the creative table rather than simply being hired after the major decisions had been made.
“Yeah,” Ritchson replied. “So, there could be a bright future for us. And there have been a lot of conversations.”
The actor also confirmed that he already has a particular DC character in mind. Asked whether there was a role he wanted but was unwilling to reveal, Ritchson answered, “Yes.”
“And it’s not Batman,” Horowitz clarified. “Look, the future is bright, and the horizons are broad, and anything is possible for any of us, okay?” Ritchson replied, seemingly in agreement.
When Horowitz pressed him again about whether he envisioned a different future for himself than the one he was currently pursuing, Ritchson remained evasive.
“I’m open to all possibilities,” he said.
Whatever the character, Ritchson is making clear that joining the DC Universe will require more than Gunn’s interest: the right role, meaningful creative input, and a project he can be proud of—demands he now has the leverage to make after the success of “Reacher.”
