Alan Ritchson's Best Performance Beyond Reacher Role
Alan Ritchson's been getting all the accolades lately for "Reacher," but Collider's making the case that his best work actually happened earlier in his career. He had a legit journey—starting as a model, breaking through with that Paula Abdul American Idol moment, then landing the first-ever live-action Aquaman role in "Smallville" before bouncing around as a character actor for years. The piece seems to be arguing there's a performance somewhere in that filmography that deserves more recognition than it gets.
ComicsBuzz Take
The irony is Ritchson's breakthrough TV roles (Aquaman, other ensemble stuff) actually required more range than the Reacher character, so if anything he's moved toward easier, more bankable work as he's gotten bigger—which works financially but might be why nothing pre-Reacher gets remembered.
💬 Fan Reactions
"Smallville Aquaman was legitimately good. Nobody talks about it because CW budget"
— u/AquamanDeserved on Reddit