Alan Ritchson’s comments about being in talks with the DC Universe to play a “messier” role in the franchise bode well for one underrated casting option for the actor. With Alan Ritchson’s prominence having grown considerably in recent years – and with his past having seen him play two DC heroes in Hawk and Aquaman – it’s easy to see why so many are eager to see Ritchson in the DCU.
Now the DC Universe timeline is starting to unfold, the trajectory the franchise is taking makes a few characters seem like they could be a real fit for the actor. In fact, based on Alan Ritchson’s own comments about his hopes for a potential DCU role, one interesting choice seems like a particularly perfect potential role for Ritchson to take on going forward.
While Alan Ritchson has been one of the fan favorite candidates to become the DCU’s Batman, the actor has previously addressed the idea that, though he’s passionate about the chance to be in the franchise, Batman may not be the role for him, having stated in an August 2025 interview with Variety that:
I strongly don’t think that Batman is in my future. I do think there is something in my future with DC. And I would like that to remain true.
More recently, Ritchson’s newest comments about the DC Universe have seen the actor reveal he is in talks about taking on a role in the franchise. In an interview with Screen Rant’s own Liam Crowley for Ritchson’s upcoming film Playdate, the actor responded to a question about whether he’d prefer a hero or villain role in the DCU by explaining:
Yeah. Yes. That’s the conversation that I’ve been having with them is like, ‘I want to play somebody a little messier.’ And I told them, I said, if I’m going to do this, I described to them the kind of personality that I’d want to play and what that would mean to their world, and I think it’s something everybody wants to see right now over there. So yes, I want to play somebody a little dirtier than your typical clean-cut protagonist.
Though this doesn’t make the Batman role strictly impossible, these comments certainly suggest Alan Ritchson is hoping to play a character who’s a little more rough around the edges than the Dark Knight is conventionally characterized as being. Interestingly, this opens the door in a major way for another character Ritchson has been fancast as: namely, Wildcat.
Wildcat is a decidedly “messier” DC hero, and would match up with Ritchson’s hopes of being able to play a less clean-cut protagonist. Often depicted as a brash, stereotypical “tough guy” – who the comics haven’t been afraid to show with flaws and all – Wildcat definitely fits the bill for Ritchson’s DCU dreams, and matches up well with the actor’s action lead roles in recent history.
Why Alan Ritchson Playing Wildcat Would Be Perfect For The DCU
The only real conceivable issue with having Alan Ritchson play Wildcat is that the main Wildcat – Ted Grant – is usually depicted as an older character, having previously been one of Batman’s various fighting mentors. However, it’d be easy to have Ritchson play one of the Wildcat successors, or otherwise justify his younger appearance via Wildcat being cursed to be effectively immortal thanks to his “nine lives” – a concept that’s also used in the comics to help explain how Wildcat’s fighting prowess is still so strong.
With some clear ways to navigate this matter, the positives of casting Alan Ritchson as Wildcat shine even further. As a key member of the Justice Society of America, Wildcat would be a great figure to introduce to help flesh out the wider lore and world of the DC Universe, and start setting up some of its superhero teams.
Similarly, Wildcat’s story has often been ignored in live-action adaptations. This means Ritchson would be able to provide a more character-defining depiction of the vigilante on-screen – showing how and why the largely powerless boxer has been able to keep up with metahumans for all these years – and means Wildcat appearing in the DCU could align with the franchise’s aims thus far, since it’s adapted a selection of underutilized comic characters already.
Wildcat’s boxing prowess and history of being an action-focused vigilante who rushes into danger in order to use his talents would work wonderfully alongside Ritchson’s success as a star in the likes of Reacher, while also letting the actor bring the nuance and heart that the character arguably would need on-screen. All in all, the raw heavy-hitter seems like he could be a better fit for Ritchson’s DCU acting hopes than Batman for the time being, especially given the actor’s latest comments.
