Follow
Link copied to clipboard
Published Oct 27, 2026, 10:38 AM EDT
Austin Manchester is a writer and editor living in New York City. At Polygon, he covers gaming and entertainment news, reviews new video games, interviews behind-the-scenes talent, and more. He enjoys discovering hidden gems and sharing them with Polygon's audience. Previously, he was the gaming editor for AIPT Comics and has written for other outlets like XDA, How-To Geek, and The List.
He enjoys soulslikes, character-driven RPGs, and third-person shooters plucked straight out of the Xbox 360 era. He also likes to flex his non-video game nerdy knowledge sometimes, whether that's explaining who's who in the new Wolverine game or recommending a comic book series about a sentient sword.
Just don't expect him to be Batman
Reacher star Alan Ritchson is still waiting for his next DC superhero role
Photo: Brooke Palmer/Prime VideoSign in to your Polygon.com account
DC Studios' bosses are still talking with Reacher star Alan Ritchson about bringing him into the burgeoning DC Universe, but those conversations have yet to materialize in a role.
Co-head Peter Safran chatted with Collider recently and confirmed that DC Studios has discussed a variety of projects with Ritchson. "We talked about a couple things, but nothing that's come to fruition at this point," Safran said. He's a fan of the Reacher actor, saying, "He's just good. I also think there's a lot more depth to him than you might have seen. I think there's more that he can do that people haven't seen."
Safran's comments are similar to what Ritchson himself said over the summer. On Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ritchson said he and Superman director and DC Studios co-head James Gunn had spoken about joining the DCU. "I would like to do something with James. James would like to do something with me. But my litmus test for what I will take is strict. I pick the shit out of projects. I know how to develop a project. Anything I do with DC will still meet my standards," Ritchson said.
Just don't expect to see Ritchson as Batman
While Batman is on his way to the DCU, DC Studios has yet to cast an actor to play the Dark Knight. Ritchson is a popular Batman fancast; just take one look at him on Reacher and you'd believe he could go toe-to-toe with Bane. However, Ritchson himself poured cold water on the idea of him donning the cape and cowl. "Maybe Batman is in the future, but I don’t think it is, because we’re having conversations about another character," he said over the summer at San Diego Comic-Con (via CinemaBlend).
Ritchson is no stranger to playing superheroes, specifically DC heroes. He played Aquaman on The CW's Smallville and Hawk on Titans. He's best known for his work in Prime Video's Reacher where he plays Jack Reacher, a hulk of a man who's not a superhero, but certainly looks like one.
>> Home