The Reacher star is currently at the top of fans’ lists to play Batman, and his previous DC role proves he’d be perfect.

SUMMARY

 Alan Ritchson’s rise in the action genre has fans calling for him to be the next Batman in James Gunn’s new DCU.
 Ritchson’s portrayal of Hawk in Titans showcases his similarities to Batman in terms of physicality and temperament.
 Despite differences from the comics, Ritchson’s portrayal of Hawk has helped solidify his position in fans’ minds for the iconic role.

Alan Ritchson has quickly risen to prominence as one of the most popular action stars of the 2020s. Although he’s been working in front of the camera since 1999 (with a cameo as a teenager in an episode of Fraiser), he has dominated the action landscape these last few years, with notable roles in the Fast & Furious franchise, and Prime Video’s Reacher, alongside his upcoming role in Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Ritchson’s recent rise in the action genre has left many fans calling for the hulking actor to be the next Batman in James Gunn’s new DCU.

To many, Alan Ritchson feels like the perfect casting for Batman, as the star already has the muscular physique, solid jaw, and gruff voice. But Ritchson’s credentials to become the new Caped Crusader go beyond superficial appearance. Ritchson has previously had a starring role in a major DC Comics franchise, and it has already proven he would make the perfect Batman.

Alan Ritchson Played Hawk in Titans

Titans

Superhero

Release Date: October 12, 2018
Cast: Brenton Thwaites , Vincent Kartheiser
Main Genre: Superhero
Seasons: 2

Batman has much in common with Ritchson’s most popular character, Jack Reacher. Both are incredibly intelligent, built like a barn, and try and act like the loner type. However, one crucial aspect missing from Jack Reacher’s comparisons to Batman is a spandex suit. That’s where Hank Hall, otherwise known as Hawk, comes in.

Before Ritchson appeared in Reacher or Fast X, he spent three seasons portraying the DC Comics character Hawk in the moderately well-received series Titans. Fighting alongside his partner Dawn Granger (Dove), Hawk and Dove were a retired crime-fighting duo who operated in and around Gotham City. With no superpowers, the duo relied on intensive physical training and meticulous planning to successfully execute their missions and fight crime – sound familiar?

While the versions of Hawk and Dove seen in Titans have had their powers and backstories significantly altered from the comics, their personalities have remained the same across the translation of mediums. Hawk is best described as a ‘bruiser’ who often loses his temper and charges headfirst into the fight. He is always willing and wanting to brawl with criminals, unleashing his repressed rage through cathartic violence.

Of course, there are notable differences between Bruce Wayne and Hank Hall, including wealth, gadgets, and training, but when the cowls and capes go on, both characters have a very similar essence to them.

Both characters use crime-fighting as their therapy to release their anger and grief, and both try to fight crime at the grassroots level, working to protect the citizens of their own city. Live-action films have given us many different iterations of the Caped Crusader, from Ben Affleck’s imposingly muscular version to Adam West’s campy, comedic take.

It’s safe to say that Hawk is most similar to Affleck’s version, not just because of his size but his sheer brutality and physicality when fighting crime. The pair are also a match psychologically.

Hawk was initially conceived as a character who solves every one of his problems with his fists, with Dove being the Ying to Hawk’s Yang and grounding him with logic. Many versions of Batman share this trait, especially towards the start of his crime-fighting career. While Affleck’s version was also a master strategist, he was often shown being extremely violent, branding criminals and refusing to hold back.

Who Is Hank Hall/Hawk in DC Comics?

An underappreciated character in the DC Comics lexicon, Hank Hall made his first appearance way back in ‘Showcase #75’ in 1968. Hawk and Dove were created as a manifestation of the political divide in America during the Vietnam War – with Hawk representing those who supported the war (known as War Hawks) and Dove representing the side working for peace and diplomacy (known as War Doves).

Originally, the pair were also brothers who were granted super-strength from a mysterious being when their father’s life was in danger. The pair have had a lot of changes since their first appearance, with the male version of Dove being replaced by Dawn Granger (played by Minka Kelly in Titans).

The most notable difference between the versions of Hawk and Dove found in the comics, and the ones we see in Titans is their lack of superpowers. The duo from the comics were granted superpowers from the mysterious Lords of Chaos & Order.

However, the pair we see in Titans are regular people trained to become vigilantes. While this change angered many hardcore fans of the characters, it does bring Ritchson’s version of the character closer in line with Batman and has helped to push the actor to the forefront of the fans’ minds when idealizing a new actor for the role.

Hilariously, Hank Hall isn’t the first DC superhero Alan Ritchson has portrayed. In the mid-00s, Ritchson became the first live-action iteration of Arthur Curry, or Aquaman, in one of his early performances on the TV show Smallville.

His version of the character was far closer to the comic book original, donning an orange jumpsuit and short blonde hair, than Jason Momoa’s now iconic version of the often ridiculed character. Ritchson made four guest appearances as the character between its fifth and tenth seasons. Interestingly, this role was Ritchson’s big break, meaning the action icon has the superhero genre to thank for his rise to stardom.

Batman is expected to make his first appearance in the new DCU in The Brave and the Bold, directed by Andrés Muschietti (The Flash).

Almost every detail about the project is currently TBD, but fans are hoping to hear some updates this year, as the project is one of the most anticipated films from the new DCU’s first phase of movies and shows, titled ‘Gods and Monsters.’ Alan Ritchson can be seen in Titans, streaming on Max.