Alan Ritchson Is 2 Years Away From Proving He's No Longer Just A Streaming Star

Published Oct 14, 2026, 8:30 AM EDT

Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release.

He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years.

Alan Ritchson has become one of streaming's biggest stars over the last few years, but he's finally getting the chance to prove he's more than that in 2028. The giant action-oriented actor has solidified himself as someone audiences will seek out on streaming through major hits like Prime Video's Reacher and Netflix's War Machine.

The former is Ritchson's career-defining role so far. He's played Lee Child's book character for four seasons, plus episodes in Neagley. Season 4 became one of Prime Video's five biggest shows ever. The latter became Netflix's most-watched 2026 movie for most of the year, racking up over 150 million hours of watch time.

With Reacher season 5 already filmed and Prime Video confirming an early renewal for season 6, he's guaranteed to keep dominating streaming for the next few years. Netflix's War Machine sequel plans will also contribute to his stardom continuing to rise without really testing his viability as someone audiences will go to theaters to see.

This will change in 2028 with Ritchson set to lead Sony's Helldivers adaptation. It's on the calendar for a June 9, 2028, release, putting it smack-dab in the middle of the summer blockbuster season. It becomes his biggest test to prove he's capable of leading more than just streaming projects.

Helldivers Will Show If Alan Ritchson Can Be A Box Office Star Too

Whether Helldivers finds success will come down to many factors. The film's quality, how Sony's marketing goes, and the competition it faces in summer 2028 are a few. In some cases, a bankable movie star can help keep audiences interested in a project even if one of those elements doesn't pan out.

Sony went for a more proven box office star for Helldivers originally in Jason Momoa, but once he left the project, it became Ritchson's responsibility to carry the big-budget use of a known IP. The actor's charisma and popularity make him a good bet to be someone who can headline Helldivers and give Sony a new video game movie franchise.

However, that is so far something he has not proven he's capable of doing. Ritchson has been part of successful franchises, such as Fast & Furious, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Hunger Games, but the movies he was in succeeded for different reasons than his involvement. Those films gave him secondary villain characters who don't get much screen time or voice-only leading roles.

Alan Ritchson Movie	Box Office
Fired Up! (2009)	$18.5 million
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)	$869.9 million
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)	$485 million
The Wedding Ringer (2015)	$79.7 million
Lazer Team (2015)	$1.4 million
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)	$245.6 million
Fast X (2023)	$704.8 million
Ordinary Angels (2024)	$20.5 million
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)	$29.7 million
Motor City (2025)	$3 million
Runner (2026)	$17.9 million

The video game movie will arrive with the pressure to be a financial success, with Ritchson now responsible for translating his streaming success to the big screen. Based on recent results, that is not a foregone conclusion. Yet, Ritchson's recent lower box office releases were never really expected to do bigger business.

Helldivers' Success Will Completely Change Alan Ritchson's Career

After making a living off of streaming domination, Helldivers could be a turning point in Ritchson's career if it proved to be a hit. Sony has had success adapting video games in the past, with Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg's Uncharted making over $400 million worldwide. They could turn the dystopian sci-fi war series of Helldivers into another property audiences don't want to miss with Ritchson at the center and Justin Lin directing.

That outcome would bring the inevitable transition from streaming star to blockbuster lead for Ritchson. Reacher season 6, which could be the last of Prime Video's series, should also come out in 2028, making this potentially the perfect time for the actor to begin a new era as a major movie star. Helldivers becoming a box office hit will mean greater opportunities for Ritchson than just headlining any sequels Sony wants to make.

Every studio will want to partner with the promising action movie star. He'd be an even more sought-after talent for high-profile originals than he already is. Ritchson would also become one of the top choices for any studio looking to reboot major action franchises, whether that's Die Hard, Terminator, Transformers, Bourne, and so on. DC, Marvel, Star Wars, and Hollywood's other biggest cinematic universes would also come calling even more if he's yet to sign on to any before this.

The bottom line is Helldivers will be Alan Ritchson's chance to show he belongs in the same breath as Glen Powell, Michael B. Jordan, and more as Hollywood's modern movie stars.