Alan Ritchson wants to “create new, compelling stories” in the comic book genre, and “yawns” at modern MCU movies.

Alan Ritchson wearing glasses with recolored Marvel posterMarvel

SUMMARY

 Alan Ritchson criticizes Marvel movies as regurgitating old stories for profit, calling for more engaging storytelling in the genre.
 Ritchson aims to be part of the solution by creating compelling new stories instead of cash-cow superhero movies.


 Despite his criticism, Ritchson is a fan of the superhero genre and aspires to play Batman in the future, blending action and comedy in his roles.

Reacher star Alan Ritchson has criticized the current slate of Marvel movies, calling them boring. The star has become a mainstay of the modern action genre, featuring in Reacher, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and even the DC Comics-inspired shows Titans and Smallville. Despite his background in the superhero genre, Ritchson hasn’t enjoyed the latest selection of Marvel Studios projects.

In an interview with GQ to promote The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Ritchson gave his opinion on modern comic book movies. Sharing a view that seems to be one that could resonate with many fans of the MCU, Ritchson said:

I sit back and yawn at Marvel movies regurgitating comic book stories that we’ve seen a thousand times because they’re the only way studios feel like they can make money.

Ritchson’s sentiment in the post-Avengers: Endgame era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one that has been shared many times over the last few years by the same fans that made the culmination of the Infinity Saga one of the biggest movies of all-time.

The studio has been on a steady decline in recent years, and several entries in the MCU (not including James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) have failed to capture audiences’ attention as the franchise used to. To many fans, modern MCU films feel more concerned with setting up more movies and Disney+ shows, than perfecting their own stories.

Why Reacher’s Alan Ritchson Missed Out on Big Marvel Role: ‘Nobody Really Cares About Acting’

But Ritchson didn’t just throw out a complaint and wait for someone else to solve the problem, the action star says he wants to “be a solution; I want to do something about it. So I’m using every bit of leverage that I have to create new, compelling stories.


That’s my mission.” As you might expect from someone as muscular as Ritchson, the actor is incredibly hard-working, and is exhausted by laziness in the film industry. “I can’t believe how many people take a pay cheque as a professional artist and do not show up prepared. It’s unreal.”

Alan Ritchson Still Wants to Play Batman

An edited image of Alan Ritchson looking at the camera with Robert Pattinson's Batman wearing his suit in The Batman
 Alan Ritchson as Hawk standing with another woman in their superhero costumes in Titans Alan Ritchson in orange suit as Aquaman in Smallville Alan Ritchson as Hawk smining and laughing in a cage with people cheering around him in Titans
Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher shirtless with a cut on his stomach looking in the mirror in Reacher

Alan Ritchson’s issues with comic book movies aren’t targeted at the entire genre, just at studios that treat their movies like cash-cows, rather than opportunities for engaging storytelling. Ritchson is actually a big fan of the superhero genre, and even wants to play Batman in the future.

Of course, Ritchson is no stranger to the superhero genre. One of the actor’s breakout roles was as Arthur Curry/Aquaman in the long-running series Smallville. Ritchson’s version of the character wore the iconic orange suit, and was far from the mountain of muscles that defined Jason Momoa’s cooler iteration in the DC Universe.

Over 10 years, and well over 10lbs later, Ritchson made his return to the superhero genre in the DC series Titans. The show took the iconic team of former sidekicks on a dark path, centering a lot of its story around Raven’s powers from her demonic father. Although the show wasn’t loved by readers of the comics, Ritchson’s performance as Hank Hall/Hawk was a fan favorite, and helped project the actor into the action spotlight.

Alan Ritchson is set to star in Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, where the actor blends his action and comedic backgrounds. Ritchson plays Anders Lassen, a Danish solider during World War II who was a member of the secret Special Operations Executive. The trailer highlights Ritchson’s intense action scenes and quippy dialogue in a hammed up Danish accent.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare hits US theaters on April 19, 2024.