Wed, August 12, 2026 at 5:25 PM UTC
Reacher, starring Alan Ritchson, is finally back with a new season. As always, comic book fans watching the hit Prime Video series will be reminded of how great Ritchson is in the role and how either DC or Marvel needs to snap him up for their shared universes. While many want to see him as Batman, the perfect comic book role for Ritchson is actually Eddie Brock/Venom.
Ritchson as Batman is too obvious a role for the actor, given how similar the Gotham City-based vigilante is to Jack Reacher. Ritchson deserves to play someone a little more outside his wheelhouse. Let’s see him flex some new acting muscles. He’s already been Aquaman in Smallville, and Hawk in Titans. Does he really need to add a third DC superhero to his resume?
Ritchson has hinted that he’s had talks with DC about a non-Batman character. However, the perfect role for the Reacher lead is actually Venom, and the fan-favorite character’s co-creator David Michelinie agrees with that dream casting.
Venom co-creator David Michelinie agrees Alan Ritchson would make the perfect Eddie Brock
In a recirculating post on X from December 2025, a fan asked Michelinie if he thought Ritchson would make a faithful Eddie Brock. “I once posted pics of Ritchson—shirtless and one of him yelling—and said he’d make the perfect Eddie/Venom. So we’re on the same page,” the Venom co-creator responded.
Every actor deserves a villainous turn, and Venom can be Ritchson’s. He’s already got the right build for the role thanks to Reacher. If Avengers: Secret Wars gives Spider-Man the black suit, Venom will surely be part of the next Spider-Man movie, and an actor like Ritchson is the sort of casting that will drum up a lot of hype.
But more importantly, Venom is a comic book role that will not prevent Ritchson from pursuing other projects. He’s made it known that he wants to do 10 seasons of Reacher. He has a Blue Mountain State sequel series in the works, as well as more than half a dozen movies. The man is booked and busy.
Venom is the type of comic book character that could pop up in Spider-Man 5 and then not appear again for a few years. He may get his own solo movie, or he’ll just collide with other anti-heroes in a crossover movie. He’s not like Batman, where Ritchson could get locked into making cameos or major supporting appearances in a variety of Justice League and Batman offshoots.
Based on Ritchson’s current career trajectory, Venom is a more realistic comic book role for the actor than Batman. Aside from the fact that he’s got the backing of one of the character’s co-creators, Venom gives Ritchson the chance to play against-type, which is exactly what an actor wants on his resume for when he can no longer play the heroic leading man.
Forget the bat; it’s time for Ritchson to break bad as the MCU‘s lethal protector.
