Alan Ritchson may now be known for playing tough guy Jack Reacher, but his first TV role was as a small screen version of DC’s aquatic hero.

SUMMARY

 Alan Ritchson’s role as Aquaman in Smallville haunts him due to the embarrassing orange Speedo he had to wear.

 Ritchson feels that he didn’t have a voice or permission to question the costume choice at the time.
 Both Ritchson and Jason Momoa have moved on from their respective portrayals of Aquaman, with Ritchson now focusing on his role in Prime Video’s Jack Reacher series.

Prior to embodying the role of Jack Reacher in Prime Video’s adaptation of Lee Child’s Reacher novels, Alan Ritchson dipped his toe into the world of DC Comics long before fans started casting him as the DCU’s Batman.

However, it is something that Ritchson himself would rather forget thanks to the “scary Speedo” he was required to wear when playing Aquaman in Smallville, and the actor recently revealed the more he sees images of the show, the more he wants to “run from all civilization.”

Smallville

Drama
Superhero

Release Date: October 16, 2001
Cast: Tom Welling , Cassidy Freeman , Erica Durance , Justin Hartley
Seasons: 10
Studio: The CW
Franchise: DC

Ritchson’s foray into the world of superheroes may be a surprise to some fans of Reacher, but thanks to images being relentlessly shared online, the star’s acting debut as Arthur Curry in The CW’s Smallville is become something that he has come to realize he just cannot escape. While speaking to BroBible’s Post Credit Podcast to promote his new movie, Ordinary Angels, Ritchson addressed the subject head on, and admitted that the sight of him in a zipped up orange Speedo makes him cringe. He said:

“What comes to mind first is how fast and far I can run from all civilization when I see myself in that orange head-to-toe Speedo, zipped up the middle. I see those pictures and I kind of can’t believe anybody thought it was a good idea to dress me like that and photograph me with that ensemble. When you’re just starting out, you do not feel like you have a voice or permission to say anything, so I just never questioned a thing and I wish I had. That Speedo was scary.”

Alan Ritchson and Jason Momoa Played Very Different Versions of Aquaman

Ritchson’s take on the king of Atlantis saw him appear in several episodes of Smallville, playing Aquaman as a young, charismatic environmental activist with a deep passion for protecting the oceans. However, times change, and five years after Ritchson hung up his wetsuit, another very different incarnation of Aquaman arrived in the long-haired, muscular form of Jason Momoa.

Momoa’s first appearance as Arthur Curry came in a brief cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, before fully stepping into the role in Justice League.

He subsequently reprised his role in several projects, including his 2018 solo movie and its 2023’s DCEU-ending sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Momoa’s portrayal brought a much more fleshed out Arthur Curry to screens, and his continued to be one of the most loved aspects of the now defunct DC Extended Universe until its end.

It now seems that both Momoa and Ritchson have left Aquaman in their past. Ritchson’s role as Jack Reacher is one that could well see him continue to play the character for a number of years as long as fans keep coming back to Prime Video for the next story.

In the meantime, Momoa has a lot on his plate, from roles in the Fast and Furious franchise and Minecraft movie, to his rumored return to the world of DC as Lobos at some point in the future.