Reacher Star Alan Ritchson Lost A Huge Marvel Role For A Good Reason

Alan Ritchson might now be a household name due to his work on Amazon's "Reacher" series, but the actor's popularity could have exploded years ago when he nearly joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in its earliest days as Thor — but he didn't impress during his audition.

In an interview with Men's Health magazine, Ritchson discussed breaking out as a star in his 40s. Despite an extensive resume, including roles in "Blue Mountain State," "Titans," and "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," Ritchson's career didn't reach its current high point until nearly two decades of working in Hollywood. However, according to Ritchson, he missed out on the major role of Thor in "Thor" because he didn't give his best during his audition: "I didn't take it seriously," Ritchson told Men's Health. "I was like, 'They'll throw me the part if I look like the guy; nobody really cares about acting.'"

Ultimately, the role of Thor went to the little-known (at the time) Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, who has starred in four "Thor" films and multiple "Avengers" installments and springboarded his success in the MCU into becoming an A-list actor. However, despite losing out on the role, Ritchson is firmly entrenched in the world of capes and superheroes.

Despite blowing his chances to become Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, throughout his career, Alan Ritchson has played a few different roles in the world of superheroes. 

First, he appeared in four episodes of "Smallville" as Arthur Curry's Aquaman. Warner Bros. replaced Ritchson with Justin Hartley in a proposed "Aquaman" spinoff series that never aired on television. He would take on another DC Comics hero in "Titans," appearing as Hawk as part of the comic book Hawk and Dove (Minka Kelly) partnership. He joined Nightwing (Brenton Thwaites), Starfire (Anna Diop), and Raven (Teagan Croft) on the modern Titans team after previously being on the original Titans roster. However, his character was killed off during Season 3 of the Max superhero series.

Ritchson might not be done with comic book roles, as he's expressed interest in replacing Ben Affleck as Batman in James Gunn's DC Universe: "With all the rumors flying that I'm supposed to be playing Batman, how can I knock Batman?" Ritchson told Fortress of Solitude. "I would love to play Batman." While Batman hasn't been cast in the new DCU, Ritchson has proven he has the physicality and look to appear as the Dark Knight and Bruce Wayne. After not taking seriously his chance to become Thor in the MCU more than a decade-and-a-half ago, Ritchson seems eager to show he can portray a big-name hero now and is a fitting choice to play Batman.