The Hollywood Reporter says noted huge guy Alan Ritchson, best known as the star of the popular Prime series Reacher, is in talks to take the lead on Sony's upcoming Helldivers movie. If negotiations are successful, Ritchson will step into the role left behind by fellow huge guy Jason Momoa, who dropped out of the project in June.
The Helldivers film was first announced in February, with Momoa starring and Justin Lin, known for his work on the Fast and Furious films, set to direct. Reasons for Momoa's withdrawal just a few months later weren't provided, but given his star power, it was a blow.
But his departure also represents a big opportunity for Ritchson, whose own star has risen rapidly following the debut of Reacher in 2022. Ritchson has appeared in numerous movies in the past—more than I realized, frankly, I'd never heard of the guy before he started wandering into small towns and breaking bad guys in half like they were dry twigs— but according to THR this would be his first time actually headlining a major feature film.
I'm kind of torn on the casting, frankly. I'm sure he'll be fine in the role—along with being huge, he's also got easy on-screen charisma—and action is definitely his thing. But I can't help wondering if maybe he's a little off for the role, too. To me, Helldivers is about unremarkable, anonymous guys being fed into the meatgrinder of fascist imperialism, and Ritchson comes off as a little too heroic (and beefy) for that.
I may be assuming too much about the film, but to me, there's really only one true John Helldiver, and it's this guy:
Or at the very least, someone who looks like him: A soft, compliant man of unremarkable talent who's suddenly realized that he's made a very big mistake. Can you see Alan Ritchson pulling off this face? I sure can't.
The Helldivers film is currently slated for release on November 10, 2027, although given that it doesn't have its lead actor fully nailed down yet, I wouldn't be too shocked if that gets pushed back.
