ReacherstarAlan Ritchsonhas criticized the current slate ofMarvelmovies, calling them boring. The star has become a mainstay of the modern action genre, featuring inReacher,The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and even the DC Comics-inspired showsTitansandSmallville. Despite his background in the superhero genre, Ritchson hasn’t enjoyed the latest selection of Marvel Studios projects.
In an interview withGQto promoteThe 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: Endgameera 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 severalentries in the MCU(not including James Gunn’sGuardians 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.
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
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 evenwants 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 seriesSmallville. 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 seriesTitans. 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 Never Looked Up To Action Stars Before Becoming Reacher, but Imitated This Comedy Genius
Alan Ritchson recently revealed that his biggest idol has always been Jim Carrey, and he used to imitate his iconic ’90s character.
Alan Ritchson is set to star inGuy Ritchie’sThe 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 Warfarehits US theaters on August 17, 2025.
