Reacher’s Alan Ritchson has spoken about his action-heavy role on the new Amazon Prime series, comparing his work with his first-ever role as Arthur Curry, a.k.a. Aquaman on Smallville. Long before DC’s King of Atlantis became synonymous with Jason Momoa, the waterlogged superhero made his original live-action debut in the Superman prequel series which starred Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum. Serving as Ritchson’s acting debut, the imposing 6’2” actor would later go on to play Raphael in the 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot and its subsequent sequel, as well as return to the DC Universe as Hank Hall, a.k.a. Hawk in Titans.
In September 2020, Ritchson was announced in the role of the former US Army military police officer Jack Reacher in a new TV series adaptation of the best-selling novels by author Lee Pace. Previously, the role had been brought to life on the big screen by veteran action star Tom Cruise, though fans of the books were quick to critique his casting in the role owing to the character being described as a 6’5” "unstoppable force." The first season of Amazon’s version of Reacher has only just been released on the Prime Video streaming platform, and it is already earning positive reviews for its more faithful adaptation of the source material.
Most recently, Ritchson was able to sit down for an interview with Flickering Myth about his latest action role and spoke of the many lessons he has learned since his time on Smallville. Suggesting that there is a "surgical precision" to the way his new character fights, he was forced to dissect and adapt the way he is typically used to fighting on screen. Check out his full comments below:
I started as Aquaman on Smallville. That was my first gig. And that’s where I got to taste playing a superhero. It was much more overwhelming than you know. I learned how to do my first rig, being pulled on wires. I didn’t have a lot of experience with that. It’s funny now looking back and seeing how much there was to learn.
Reacher is different because there’s like a surgical precision to the way he moves and fights. When you’re using the back of your head to punch somebody, you have to figure out how to do that. So, we really had to deconstruct how I’m used to fighting, like a brawler, which can be a little ambiguous or wide or broad.
First coming into the public eye in the third season of the hit reality show American Idol, where he appeared as one of the top 87 contestants, Ritchson’s casting as Arthur Curry would ultimately set him up for a lifetime of action-focused roles. In addition to his DC-centric roles, the actor has also appeared as a tribute in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and his likeness and motion were used for the titular role of Beowulf in Robert Zemeckis’ 2007 3D animated film. While Ritchson admits his time on Smallville was "much more overwhelming than you know," clearly the trade secrets he picked up along the way have put him in good stead moving forward.
While there is currently no indication whether or not Amazon will be looking to push forward with future seasons of Reacher, there is certainly plenty of source material for the show to continue for years to come if they so choose. If, or when, Amazon decides to greenlight a second season, Ritchson will undoubtedly be able to draw upon his rich history of being a 2-time DC superhero, a Ninja Turtle, and a Hunger Games tribute. In the meantime, fans will be able to check out Ritchson’s latest turn as an action hero in Reacher season 1, currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Flickering Myth