By now, I imagine that a fair amount of you have had a chance to view at least the first episode of Titans. And if so, you’re probably aware of how it’s nowhere near as bad as people thought it would be before it premiered. In fact, I’ve even seen a lot of folks praising it on social media.
Still, any given piece of art is subject to criticism and we’re sure that it’s still struggling to win some fans over. One person who certainly isn’t in that camp though is star Alan Ritchson, who plays Hawk. Of course, it’s not like he’d do anything but praise a project he’s involved in, but speaking at New York Comic Con earlier this month, he even went so far as to say that Titans is better than Avengers: Infinity War.
That’s a statement which is sure to ruffle a couple feathers (pun intended), but below, you can read the actor’s reasoning, which is fair enough – even if you don’t totally agree or feel the same.
“I think I’m just excited that the fans are finally getting a really raw, human look at superheroes. I think, for me, the reason I don’t go see Infinity War movies or whatever these are is because there’s no stakes in it,” he explained. “Everybody feels invincible all the time.”
Following that, Ritchson went on to speak about how his hero having no real powers is what makes Hawk such an exciting character for him, saying:
“You know, I play a superhero without any superpowers. How great is that? I still remember the first episode I shot, episode 1.02. Brad Anderson, the director, and I were standing on set and it was the first time that we were shooting where I was in the suit and kicking ass and I walked in and there was a big catwalk,” he recalled. “It was high. So he’s like, ‘You’re up there, you’re kind of crushing some beers, and then, you know, you tell Dove, “Let’s go do it” and you jump down and you get in the fight.’ And I was like, ‘Okay… We’ve never had this conversation before, so… do I fly? What are my superpowers? Am I super strong? I can handle a jump that size?’ And he’s like, ‘Good question, good question. Yeah. Let’s go with no superpowers.’ I was like, ‘Okay! Alright! That informs a lot!’”
“So from then on, I played the guy like he had no superpowers, you know? You get hurt in these fights,” he added. “I think that’s really cool! Who else has explored that? So, to me, it’s about the humanity. I mean, this guy has a lot of pain. He masks it with pharmaceuticals and codependency. I mean, I and many others I think can relate to those kind of humans struggles and that’s what I’m interested in exploring, and if you do it in a fun, entertaining way through Hawk and Dove and the Titans, all the better. That’s what I’m excited for people to have.”
Again, you don’t have to feel the same way as the Titans star, but he does have a point. A lot of people are actually praising the DC Universe show for exactly what Ritchson’s talking about here, and rightfully so. Although, with Infinity War, Marvel showed us that there are real stakes involved, even if most of the dusted characters will return in Avengers 4.
Regardless, there are good and bad things to be said about both of these projects and whether you prefer the more invincible heroes of Avengers: Infinity War or the gritty and raw protagonists of Titans, it’s safe to say that each one of them is certainly worth your time.
