Summary
After playing Aquaman in the long-running TV seriesSmallville, Alan Ritchson was recast for theAquamanspinoff series, a decision that looks even worse in 2024. Despite being a classicDCComics superhero and an essential member of numerous Justice League lineups, Aquaman received his first live-action incarnation in 2005, via a 2005 episode ofSmallville, with Alan Ritchson playing the role.Ritchson’s version of Aquamanbecame a reoccurring character inSmallvilleand a spinoff TV series was planned, yet ultimately only yielded a pilot episode.
TheAquamanpilot, interestingly, did not star Alan Ritchson but instead cast Justin Hartley as the King of the Sea. The pilot was well-received, yet it did not, unfortunately, lead to a fullAquamanTV series. Hartley would play Green Arrow inSmallvillethat same year (and become a beloved reoccurring character in the series) and theAquamancharacters and mythos would not return to the realm of live-action until the DC Extended Universe film franchise finally brought the hero to cinemas, with Jason Momoa playing Arthur Curry in multiple films, including twoAquamansolo movies.
TheAquamanpilot’s co-creator, Alred Gough, toyed with the idea of setting the show in the same continuity asSmallville, but due to several notable discrepancies between the two, theAquamanpilot appears to take place in its own universe.
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Why Alan Ritchson Was Recast In The Smallville Aquaman Spinoff Pilot
Alan Ritchson’s first acting role was theSmallvilleiteration of Aquaman, and the character’s positive reception seemingly guaranteed that Ritchson would reprise the role as the star of theAquamanTV series. As revealed in an episode of theInside of You with Michael Rosenbaumpodcast, however,it was Ritchson’s lack of experience that likely contributed to his recasting in the pilot.
“I wasn’t mad at all. Why would I be mad? I hadn’t done anything at all; Smallville was my first gig.”
Ritchson noted that the executives atUPN likely wanted a recognized veteran actor for the lead role inAquaman, and although Ritchson was strongly considered for the role at first, it ultimately went to Justin Hartley.
In 2024, Alan Ritchson Has A Flourishing Acting Career
Despite losing the opportunity to play a lead role in a DC superhero TV series so early on,Alan Ritchson’s acting career nevertheless flourished after his role as AquamaninSmallville, especially in recent years. Among many other roles,Ritchson stars as Jack Reacher in the 2022 TV seriesReacher, and he played a main role in the 2024 action comedyThe Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Ritchson even returned to the realm of DC Comics adaptations in the TV seriesTitans, playing the role of Hawk (Hank Hall), one half of the superhero duo Hawk and Dove.
Ritchson would reprise the role as Hawkin the Arrowverse’sCrisis on Infinite Earthscrossover event, which saw the continuities of multiple live-action DC TV shows collide. WithTitansand the Arrowverse TV shows having concluded, and with the DC Universe partial reboot for the DC Extended Universe underway, however, there may be room for Ritchson to return to the realm of live-action DC Comics adaptations. Jason Momoa’s time as Aquaman is seemingly over, but there is another iconic DC superhero who Alan Ritchson could play in the DCU.
One of the first DCU characters announced to be due for a recast was Ben Affleck’s Batman. There are plenty of excellent actors to potentially play the DCU’s Batman (with Jensen Ackles being a popular choice), and Alan Ritchson could easily be among them.Ritchson expressed a strong desire to play Batmanin an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, noting a particular interest in Batman’s intelligence and vast array of technologically advanced vehicles. Considering Ritchson’s successful roles in recent years and his interest in portraying the character, he would be an ideal choice for the role.
Another factor is Alan Ritchson’s age. Batman is set to have his first DCU solo film inThe Brave and the Bold, which will star not only Batman but also the Damian Wayne iteration of Robin. In DC’s comics, Danian is the fifth Robin, which implies that the DCU’s Batman will be a seasoned veteran, having trained multiple sidekicks by his introduction.At 41, Ritchson is at the right age to play an experienced Batman, and casting him as one of DC’s “big three” superheroes would certainly make up for his recasting in theSmallvilleAquamanspinoff series.
Smallville
Cast
Smallville chronicles the journey of Clark Kent, portraying his origins from Krypton to his teenage years on Earth. The series explores his challenges and development leading towards his destiny as the iconic hero, Superman, set against the backdrop of Smallville, Kansas.
