Alan Ritchson's portrayal of Hank Hawk Hall in the DC series Titans is often overlooked in favor of his more recent role as Jack Reacher. However, his performance as Hank showcases his range and depth as an actor, and it's a testament to his ability to convey emotional vulnerability and complexity.
Before Reacher made Alan Ritchson a household name, he spent years as a journeyman actor with a familiar face. The former model first broke through when he famously serenaded Paula Abdul during American Idol auditions, launched into acting as the first-ever live-action Aquaman in Smallville, and built a cult following as unhinged football captain Thad Castle in Blue Mountain State.
Over nearly two decades, he played everything from a young Norm Scully in Brooklyn Nine-Nine to Raphael in the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but his best role is one we don't talk about nearly enough: as Hank Hawk Hall in Titans. Ritchson's imposing physical presence comes with a profound capability to display emotional vulnerability, making him a natural fit for action and superhero casting.
But he was deemed too inexperienced when Smallville considered spinning off Aquaman, was turned down for Thor because producers said he didn't have the craft, and was told he was too old for the role of Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and given a smaller part instead. The Greg Berlanti-led Titans was the first franchise to play off his true potential; he plays a central role that showcases the depths of his acting ability and delivers the best performance of his career, one that very clearly laid the groundwork for taking on the mantle of Jack Reacher.
A gritty, mature, high-budget reimagining of the classic Teen Titans franchise, Titans premiered in 2018 and ran for four seasons; the first two were aired on the DC Universe streaming platform, then the show moved to HBO Max. Centered on a found family of young misfit heroes and vigilantes who band together to navigate their personal demons, master their abilities, and fight dark supernatural forces, the series opens with former Batman sidekick Dick Grayson attempting to erase his violent Gotham past and live a normal life as a Detroit detective, but still moonlighting as Robin at night.
That all changes after demon-powered teenager Rachel Raven Roth witnesses her mother's brutal murder, and after Dick takes her into his protection, is forced to reboot his former squad the Titans to fight the ongoing threats that they encounter, alongside fire-powered alien princess Kory Starfire Anders, shapeshifting former Doom Patrol member Gar Beast Boy Logan, Batman's second Robin, Jason Todd, the genetic offspring of Superman and Lex Luthor, Conner Superboy Kent, and original Titans members Hank and his girlfriend, Dawn Dove Granger, better known as the masked vigilante duo Hawk and Dove. If that sounds like a lot, it's because it is but in the best possible way.
Part soapy drama, part chaotic lore-based romp, there's absolutely nothing that was off the table for the plot in terms of angst, danger, or even resurrection. But what made Titans so different from any other superhero show was the human element at the end of the day, the characters spent time processing the surrounding madness, not just creating it or acting like it was commonplace, and it was a fascinating thing to behold.
Hank Hall's Titans Backstory Is Harrowing The character that Ritchson plays, Hank, is initially introduced in the second episode of the series when an attempted kidnapping goes sideways, and Dick brings Rachel to stay with Hank and Dawn. He comes across as a hotheaded, toxically masculine, drug-addicted brute; he's especially horrible to Dick, presumed to be the result of a complicated love triangle between Dick, Hank, and Dawn.
But towards the end of the first season, an entire episode, delivered primarily through flashbacks, reveals a deeply traumatic past hidden beneath his abrasive exterior, reframing his demons as grief and physical pain and his motivations as fierce loyalty and deep morality. Much like Jack Reacher, Hank has a ton of baggage and no special powers, but what makes Ritchson's performance so much better in Titans is that while the imposing presence is there, we get to see the raw, emotional side, too.
It's revealed that in his youth, he was a star football player who submitted to sexual abuse from his coach to protect his younger half-brother, Don Dove Hall, and that in college after their mom died from cancer, he felt so helpless after being unable to protect her from that pain that he played through multiple concussions in college to ensure he didn't let his team down, too.
After Don informs the school that he needs to stop, Hank is pulled off the team and absolutely furious about it but Don convinces him to channel his energy into something more productive, so they end up becoming the original iteration of Hawk and Dove, violent vigilantes in search of justice against predators
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