Helldivers Movie: Alan Ritchson in Talks to Replace Jason Momoa

Alan Ritchson is reportedly in talks to lead Sony's Helldivers movie after Jason Momoa exited the project. The film is aiming for a November 2027 release.

Looks like Sony's Helldivers movie might have found its new leading man — and he's got plenty of experience fighting impossible odds.

According to a report from Deadline, Alan Ritchson is in negotiations to star in the live-action Helldivers film. You probably know him best as Jack Reacher in Amazon's Reacher series, and honestly, that tough-guy energy feels like a pretty natural fit for a war against giant bugs and robots.

Here's the context: Jason Momoa was originally expected to headline the project, but he reportedly left back in June, and the reasons still haven't been made public. Now Sony is hunting for a replacement, and Ritchson is the name currently in the mix. That said, talks are still early — nothing is locked in yet.

If Sony and director Justin Lin want to hit that November 2027 release date, though, they'll probably need to move fast. Casting decisions like this tend to set everything else in motion, so expect more concrete news sooner rather than later.

Ritchson has been building quite the action résumé lately. Beyond Reacher, he recently appeared in the Netflix action film War Machine and the Owen Wilson-led movie Runner. He's become one of those faces that pops up whenever a project needs someone who can convincingly throw a punch and look cool doing it.

As for what the Helldivers movie will actually be about? Your guess is as good as ours. Plot details are still tightly under wraps. Sony officially announced the adaptation back in January 2025, promising to bring the war for Super Earth to the big screen. Things seemed to be moving along smoothly at first, but the project has hit a few bumps since then.

Arrowhead Game Studios' co-op shooter has a tone that's equal parts chaotic, satirical, and over-the-top patriotic, so whoever ends up in the lead role will need to match that vibe. Plenty of fans seem to think Ritchson fits the military sci-fi mold well — and given his track record, it's hard to argue.

So, what do you think? Is Alan Ritchson the right pick to lead the Helldivers movie, or were you Team Momoa all the way? Let us know in the comments.