Alan Ritchson’s New Prime Video Action Movie’s RT Score Is a Harsh Reality Check for Reacher Replacement Hopes

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I’ve been really enjoying Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in that Prime Video series – he totally owns the role, and it’s become a huge hit. Because of Reacher, he’s getting a lot of movie offers between seasons. He was in Fast X, but he hasn’t really had a chance to lead a big action movie yet, even though he’s clearly trying. Sadly, his newest film just came out and everyone’s been pretty critical of it.

Alan Ritchson teamed up with Prime Video again for the action comedy Playdate, starring alongside Kevin James. The movie centers on two dads, Brian (James) and Jeff (Ritchson), who arrange a playdate for their sons. However, things quickly escalate when mercenaries show up and target Jeff, unexpectedly pulling Brian into a dangerous situation. Currently, Playdate has a low Rotten Tomatoes score of 23% based on 13 reviews, though audiences give it a slightly better, but still negative, score of 54%. This makes it one of Ritchson’s worst-rated films on the site, only slightly better than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (20%) and Steam (0%), and represents a potential stumble in his efforts to establish himself as a leading movie star.

How Alan Ritchson Can Rebound From Playdate

While Playdate might not become a huge action hit, it doesn’t hurt Alan Ritchson’s career as an action star. He’s still got Season 4 of Reacher coming up, which is likely to remain a top streaming action series. Though it’s good he has Reacher as a reliable project, Ritchson probably wants to find success with different kinds of action roles and show his range. Playdate offered him a chance to do action with a comedic twist, which is a departure from the serious tone of Reacher, and it’s understandable why that appealed to him, even if the film wasn’t a blockbuster.

Alan Ritchson has some promising opportunities ahead of him. He’s been talking with DC Studios about a possible role in a future project. While fans have often suggested him for Batman, Ritchson is actually hoping to play a more complex, morally gray character – not just a typical hero. With the successful launches of Superman and Peacemaker Season 2, collaborating with James Gunn and his team could be a fantastic career move for Ritchson. Although a DC project would undoubtedly draw a large audience, it would also give him a chance to showcase his talents and potentially lead his own superhero franchise.

Besides Season 4 of Reacher, Alan Ritchson has several exciting projects coming up. He’s starring in the sci-fi action film War Machine and The Man with the Bag, a Christmas action comedy where he’ll act alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger as Santa Claus. One of his most compelling upcoming roles is a biopic about Navy SEAL Mike Thornton, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient known for his bravery during the Vietnam War. Currently, none of these films have announced release dates. Hopefully, at least a few will be successful and help Ritchson build an impressive film career.

It’s natural that Alan Ritchson is looking for roles outside of Reacher. Since the show won’t last forever, he needs to prove himself in other projects to stay a major action star. He’s hoping for something with DC Studios soon, though he doesn’t see himself as Batman. He’d be perfect for many other DC characters, which would solidify his place in that universe.

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2025-11-13 19:10