The 'Ordinary' Arnie? Glen Powell Reboots 'The Running Man'
Hollywood is often said to no longer produce movie stars. So when someone like Glen Powell, with a strong jawline and natural charisma, is cast in Arnold Schwarzenegger's role for a reboot of The Running Man, it sparks excitement.
However, Powell, a polite Texan who left Los Angeles to live in Austin as his career advanced, does not see himself as exceptional. The 37-year-old told AFP,
"I don't find myself to be exceptional. That era of action stars and movie stars? You can't really compare apples to oranges."
The new Running Man, released Friday, presents a very different hero than the indestructible figures of Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Gibson, who often played soldiers, cops, or fighters.
Powell's character, Ben Richards, is an everyman with no special skills except resilience and a short temper. He enters a deadly game show where the whole world is trying to kill him, with the goal of surviving long enough to win money to buy medicine for his daughter.
"I've always identified myself as an underdog," Powell said. "Some of my favorite movies are ordinary people against extraordinary odds. And you don't get more ordinary than Ben."
This reboot emphasizes grit and humanity over invincible heroism, embodying a new kind of action protagonist.
Author’s summary: Glen Powell’s portrayal of Ben Richards in The Running Man redefines action heroes, highlighting ordinary resilience over legendary invincibility.