Reacher Star Earns Surprise Praise as the ‘Perfect’ Pick to Play Spider-Man Legendary Villain

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Next summer, Marvel Studios will release Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Many fans are now speculating about which actor will play the next big villain in the series.

As a huge fan, I’ve been following the Venom movies since 2018, and it looks like things are changing! With the possibility of recasting Venom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, @TheDoctorX11 on X has already shared their pick for who should play the next Spider-Man villain. It’s exciting to think about what’s next!

I asked David Michelinie, who helped create Venom, who he thought would be a good Eddie Brock. I suggested Alan Ritchson, and it turns out he’d already thought the same thing! He told me he once shared pictures of Ritchson – including one of him without a shirt and another of him shouting – and said Ritchson would be perfect for the role. He said we clearly agree.

Alan Ritchson is currently well-known for his role as Jack Reacher. But before that, he had experience playing characters from comic books. He famously played Raphael in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies from 2014 and 2016. He also made an appearance on Supergirl and starred as Hank Hall/Hawk in the HBO Max series Titans.

The Venom films, starring Tom Hardy, have been successful in theaters. The first Venom movie earned $478.9 million worldwide, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage (released in 2021) brought in $506.8 million. However, the original Venom from 2018 was the biggest hit, earning $856 million globally on a $100 million budget.

Topher Grace Previously Played Venom In A Spider-Man Movie

Even though Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Venom is popular, many still consider Topher Grace’s version to be better. The key difference lies in Grace’s ability to make Venom a genuinely unlikeable character, which actually aligns more closely with the original Eddie Brock and Venom from the Marvel comics. Hardy doesn’t play the role poorly, but Grace’s performance feels more authentic to the character’s core.

Okay, so a lot of us are still hoping Alan Ritchson gets to play Venom someday, but in the meantime, there’s plenty to keep us busy! I’m really into his show Reacher on Prime Video, and season 4 is supposed to drop sometime in 2026, which feels like forever away! Plus, he’s in this fun action-comedy movie called Playdate with Kevin James – it’s on Prime Video too, and I’ve been checking it out.

You can now watch Venom (2018) on Disney+, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage on Starz. If you enjoyed The Last Dance, check it out on Netflix. For Spider-Man and Venom fans, Spider-Man 3—featuring Topher Grace as Venom/Eddie Brock—is also available on Disney+.

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2025-12-09 19:40