It is often said Hollywood doesn’t produce movie stars anymore. So when Glen Powell, with his square jaw and charisma, was cast in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s role for a Running Man reboot, excitement followed.
But Powell, a courteous Texan who returned to Austin as his fame grew, shrugs off comparisons.
“I don’t find myself to be exceptional,” the 37-year-old told AFP. “That era of action stars? You can’t really compare apples to oranges.”
His character, Ben Richards, is far from Schwarzenegger-style invincible heroes. An everyman with a short fuse, Richards enters a deadly game show to win prize money and life-saving medicine for his daughter.
“I’ve always identified as an underdog,” Powell said. “Some of my favorite movies are ordinary people against extraordinary odds. You don’t get more ordinary than Ben.”
The film delivers bruises, explosions, and even a scene of Powell abseiling in just a bath towel. He and director Edgar Wright screened it for Schwarzenegger, who quipped, “Oh, I feel so bad for you… It must have hurt!”
The movie follows Stephen King’s original novel more closely than the 1987 film, with Richards pursued across cities by professional killers while TV producers manipulate every moment for ratings. King set the story in 2025, imagining a society of divisive leaders, deepfake videos, and a health care crisis—eerily close to today.
“We live in this TikTok universe,” Powell said. “We see carnage… yet we’re sort of away from it.” He noted the rise of deepfakes and misinformation, which the film explores.
Powell rose to prominence as Hangman in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick and has since starred in rom-com Anyone but You, chased storms in Twisters, and co-wrote and starred in Hit Man. He will soon lead a J.J. Abrams fantasy film, with his production company in a deal with Universal.
“I didn’t want to wait for the phone to ring,” Powell said. “Hollywood’s the Wild West right now. I can’t look backwards.” AFP
