Alan Ritchson, now famous as Reacher, had almost been selected to portray the superheroes Thor and Shazam, as humorously recalled by Jenna Bush Hager on Today.
Bush Hager had to apologize to the Reacher star after she brought up some of the roles he missed out on throughout his decades-long career.
“One of the things as I was reading about you that I didn’t know is you had all of these near-hits, like you almost got Thor,” she began.
Ouch, Jenna!
During the show, Ritchson visibly prepared himself for the moment as she began recounting the missed opportunities. Noticing his reaction, Bush Hager humorously remarked, “Sorry, I’m not trying to pour salt in the wound!”
The guest host for the week, Justin Sylvester, promptly pointed out the act of “pouring that salt” in the wound, leading to a shared giggle among the hosts and the guest.
“Yeah, I almost got Shazam,” Ritchson replied, pretending to be grieving the role. “It’s so fun watching those movies!” He then quickly added, “No, I’m happy for [Zachary Levi].”
Bush Hager then continued, “There must be some sort of late gratitude now when you’re killing [it]. You must be like, ‘Okay wait, this must be what it feels like.’”
Ritchson explained that it’s an experience all actors go through when auditioning for roles. He also told Bush Hager that one of his very first acting roles on Smallville in 2005 almost kick-started his career.
“The very first job I had out of the gate playing Aquaman on Smallville, I had an offer for my own spinoff and it didn’t end up panning out for reasons. But I can’t imagine getting a show that quickly,” he said.
“I wouldn’t know myself, I wouldn’t know the craft, I wouldn’t have the life experience to appreciate any of it,” he continued. “Being a late bloomer, it helps you mature.”
With or without Aquaman or Thor under his belt, Reacher is doing great numbers on Prime Video. The series made it to Nielsen’s streaming top 10 when Season 2 premiered in 2024.
The action-packed adaptation of Lee Child’s novels has already been renewed for Season 4 ahead of Season 3’s premiere this week.
Reacher Season 3 is streaming now on Prime Video.
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