Despite plenty of rumours, we’re still no closer to learning who will be playing The Dark Knight in the DC Universe. One of the many choices making the rounds has Reacher‘s Alan Ritchson taking on the role of Batman. Nothing is official, but the actor recently revealed he’s been talking with DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn “a lot.“
Alan Ritchson recently appeared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, and host Josh Horowitz asked whether the actor might play Batman or perhaps another character in the DCU.
“There’s so much to unpack here that you don’t even know,” Ritchson teased. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.“
Ritchson then paused to gather his thoughts, perhaps trying to choose his words carefully. “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 said. “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.“
Horowitz suggested that Ritchson wanted to be more creatively involved in any potential project. “Yeah,” Ritchson replied. “So, there could be a bright future for us. And there have been a lot of conversations.“
When asked if he had a particular DC character in mind that he wanted to play, Ritchson answered, “Yes.“
“And it’s not Batman?” Horowitz asked.
Ritchson merely smiled, saying, “Look, the future is bright, and the horizons are broad, and anything is possible for any of us, okay?“
Ritchson has been very busy. The actor kicked off the year with War Machine, a sci-fi action thriller for Netflix that already has a sequel in the works. In fact, it recently received an official title.
Next up is Motor City, a nearly dialogue-free action flick which will hit theaters on July 24. He will also be starring in The Man with the Bag, a Christmas action comedy which features Arnold Schwarzenegger as Santa Claus. The description reads, “When Santa’s magic bag is stolen, he turns to his naughty list to find Vance, a former thief, to help him get it back.” It will be released on Prime Video on December 2.
Another season of Reacher will also debut on August 12, and Ritchson will be putting in an appearance in Neagley. The spinoff focuses on Frances Neagley (Maria Sten), a friend of Reacher. “Frances Neagley is a private investigator in Chicago. When she learns that a beloved friend from her past has been killed in a suspicious accident, she becomes hell-bent on justice,” reads the description. “Using everything she’s learned from Jack Reacher and her time as a member of the 110 Special Investigators, Neagley puts herself on a dangerous path to uncover a menacing evil.“ The spinoff will drop on September 16.