Alan Ritchson’s Best Performance Still Isn’t the One Everyone Talks About

Before Reacher made Alan Ritchson a household name, he spent years as a journeyman actor with a familiar face. The former model first broke through when he famously serenaded Paula Abdul during American Idol auditions, launched into acting as the first-ever live-action Aquaman in Smallville, and built a cult following as unhinged football captain Thad Castle in Blue Mountain State. Over nearly two decades, he played everything from a young Norm Scully in Brooklyn Nine-Nine to Raphael in the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but his best role is one we don’t talk about nearly enough: as Hank “Hawk” Hall in Titans.

Ritchson’s imposing physical presence comes with a profound capability to display emotional vulnerability, making him a natural fit for action and superhero casting. But he was deemed too inexperienced when Smallville considered spinning off Aquaman, was turned down for Thor because producers said he didn’t have “the craft,” and was told he was too old for the role of Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and given a smaller part instead. The Greg Berlanti-led Titans was the first franchise to play off his true potential; he plays a central role that showcases the depths of his acting ability and delivers the best performance of his career, one that very clearly laid the groundwork for taking on the mantle of Jack Reacher.

What Makes ‘Titans’ a Must-Watch Superhero Series

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A gritty, mature, high-budget reimagining of the classic Teen Titans franchise, Titans premiered in 2018 and ran for four seasons; the first two were aired on the DC Universe streaming platform, then the show moved to HBO Max. Centered on a found family of young misfit heroes and vigilantes who band together to navigate their personal demons, master their abilities, and fight dark supernatural forces, the series opens with former Batman sidekick Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) attempting to erase his violent Gotham past and live a normal life as a Detroit detective, but still moonlighting as Robin at night.

That all changes after demon-powered teenager Rachel “Raven” Roth (Teagan Croft) witnesses her mother’s brutal murder, and after Dick takes her into his protection, is forced to reboot his former squad – the Titans – to fight the ongoing threats that they encounter, alongside fire-powered alien princess Kory “Starfire” Anders (Anna Diop), shapeshifting former Doom Patrol member Gar “Beast Boy” Logan (Ryan Potter), Batman’s second Robin, Jason Todd (Curran Walters), the genetic offspring of Superman and Lex Luthor, Conner “Superboy” Kent (Joshua Orpin) and original Titans members Hank and his girlfriend, Dawn “Dove” Granger (Minka Kelly), better known as the masked vigilante duo Hawk and Dove.

If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is – but in the best possible way. Part soapy drama, part chaotic lore-based romp, there’s absolutely nothing that was off the table for the plot in terms of angst, danger, or even resurrection. But what made Titans so different from any other superhero show was the human element; at the end of the day, the characters spent time processing the surrounding madness, not just creating it or acting like it was commonplace, and it was a fascinating thing to behold.

Hank Hall’s ‘Titans’ Backstory Is Harrowing

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The character that Ritchson plays, Hank, is initially introduced in the second episode of the series when an attempted kidnapping goes sideways, and Dick brings Rachel to stay with Hank and Dawn. He comes across as a hotheaded, toxically masculine, drug-addicted brute; he’s especially horrible to Dick, presumed to be the result of a complicated love triangle between Dick, Hank, and Dawn. But towards the end of the first season, an entire episode, delivered primarily through flashbacks, reveals a deeply traumatic past hidden beneath his abrasive exterior, reframing his demons as grief and physical pain and his motivations as fierce loyalty and deep morality.

Much like Jack Reacher, Hank has a ton of baggage and no special powers, but what makes Ritchson’s performance so much better in Titans is that while the imposing presence is there, we get to see the raw, emotional side, too. It’s revealed that in his youth, he was a star football player who submitted to sexual abuse from his coach to protect his younger half-brother, Don “Dove” Hall (Elliot Knight), and that in college after their mom died from cancer, he felt so helpless after being unable to protect her from that pain that he played through multiple concussions in college to ensure he didn’t let his team down, too. After Don informs the school that he needs to stop, Hank is pulled off the team – and absolutely furious about it – but Don convinces him to channel his energy into something more productive, so they end up becoming the original iteration of Hawk and Dove, violent vigilantes in search of justice against predators.

How Alan Ritchson Made ‘Titans’ a Better Show

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The devastation of his youth culminates in a random encounter that leads to Hank’s brother and Dawn’s mother being killed in the same freak accident. The new Hawk and Dove are bonded by their shared trauma – she, too, was a victim of childhood abuse – and their deep grief about losing their families. Through his volatile relationship with Dawn, it becomes clear Hank’s struggles with drugs and alcohol are a result of long-standing grief and physical injury, and his brusqueness stems from an unyielding, moral obligation to protect his loved ones and hurt the ones that hurt others. These unchecked emotions are visible in everything he does, and make Hank the most tragic, compelling character in the series – especially when he meets his ultimate end.

In Season 3, Jason Todd, who has been expelled from the found family and become his evil alter ego, Red Hood, convinces Hank he’s changed, knowing he has a soft spot for those in need and will always protect him. Jason betrays his loyalty, using a moment of weakness to surgically implant a bomb in Hank’s body, and since he’s the character that always ruins everything, manages to trick Dawn into pulling the detonation trigger and killing him. Hank appears once more towards the end of the season to tie off his tragic arc, appearing alongside Don in the afterlife, to guide Tim Drake (Jay Lycurgo) and Donna “Wonder Girl” Troy (Conor Leslie) back to the living.

Soon after Hank’s journey ended – one in which he was revealed as emotional, relatable, and a force to be reckoned with – so did Alan Ritchson’s tenure as a journeyman actor. Less than six months after his final episode aired, Reacher premiered. Titans would end due to a DCU shake-up just one season later, but Ritchson powered forward and became the powerhouse star we know today. But his best performance will always be the one where he showed his vulnerable side, when we got to see not just him as a formidable actor but also a glimpse at the soft underbelly of the tough guy we’ve come to love.

Release Date

2018 – 2023-00-00

Network

DC Universe, HBO Max

Showrunner

Akiva Goldsman

Directors

Carol Banker, Nick Copus, Millicent Shelton, Nick Gomez, Akiva Goldsman, Brad Anderson, Glen Winter, Jen McGowan, Kevin Rodney Sullivan, Alex Kalymnios, Chad Lowe, David Frazee, John Fawcett, Nathan Hope, Jesse Warn, Kevin Tancharoen, Toa Fraser, Meera Menon, Eric Dean Seaton

Writers

Gabrielle Stanton, Marisha Mukerjee, Bianca Sams, Jeffrey David Thomas