Alan Ritchson plays Jack Reacher, arguably one of the toughest fictional characters of all time, and as such he’s got a pretty high opinion of the former soldier turned general do-gooder. That’s understandable, we all have our biases, but he’s decided to say something that’s so categorically wrong about the DCU that we have no choice but to write about it.
Ritchson thinks that in a fight Reacher could handle Batman. Now I’ve read some silly DCU takes in my time (I’m sorry Snyder fans you can’t make Kevin Costner’s Man of Steel death make sense) but suggesting that Jack could take on the greatest DC character of all time is one the most outlandish ideas I’ve ever heard.
Now before we get into why Ritchson is wrong, I feel it’s important to add some context to this debacle because this didn’t come out of nowhere. Ritchon was being interviewed by the website Fortress of Solitude following the release of Reacher season 2 and was asked who he thought was tougher, the Caped Crusader or Reacher.
“Batman has got like a cave, and Reacher doesn’t even have a house. He’s got a toothbrush. So, I think Batman has got cool stuff. Dude is loaded and has caves, penthouses, and spotlights that call him,” Ritchson answered. “Batman’s cooler. But I mean, Reacher would be harder to go down in a fight. Just him and his toothbrush, and [Batman] be like, ‘Damn, he’s holding on. It’s been 30 minutes.’ So, it would be fun.”
Ritchson’s right it would be fun. Fun for Batman who would take Reacher apart in less time than it takes for Robin to squeeze into his green shorts. What evidence do we have to support that? Well to paraphrase the best Batman actor of them all ‘Because I’m Batman!’.
In all seriousness, though, Reacher’s just out of his league. Bruce has shown the ability to go toe-to-toe with super-powered beings on numerous occasions including members of the Justice League like Superman as well as a myriad of DC villains with superpowers.
Thinking about it Reacher has a lot in common with one of the most infamous Batman villains, Bane. Both men have an analytical mind, they’re both physical powerhouses, and they have military training. The only advantage Bane has is his super serum Venom which gives him enhanced strength.
Still, you know what? Batman’s beaten Bane more times than I can remember. Oh sure Bane got a win in once, but he couldn’t keep the Dark Knight down and neither could Reacher. That is because people forget Bruce’s real superpower; it’s not that he’s rich, well-trained, or smart, it’s that he’s indomitable.
If you love Batman as much as we do check out our guide explaining how to watch the Batman movies in order which unpicks the Dark Knight’s twisted continuity. We’ve also got an article revealing how to watch all the DC movies in order and brought you everything you need to know about Superman Legacy.