I Just Found Out Why Alan Ritchson’s Death In The Hunger Games Is So Awkward, And It All Makes So Much Sense Now

Alan Ritchson, with his rugged physique, has had a successful career in Hollywood. He first entered acting as Aquaman before Jason Momoa on Smallville at The CW, later showcasing his muscularity as Hawk in Titans, and securing the leading role in Amazon’s Reacher. However, it is worth mentioning his role in The Hunger Games, where he portrayed District 1 tribute Gloss. As for the action hero himself, there seems to be a reasonable explanation behind why his character’s death scene appeared as awkward as it did.

As a follower, I recall in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” Gloss was a Career tribute hailing from District 1. He was brought back to fight in the Quarter Quell alongside his sister, Cashmere. The climactic scene left both characters and viewers stunned when Gloss stealthily attacked Wiress, ending her life with a deadly stab. Moments later, Katniss swiftly responded with a lethal arrow aimed at Gloss, who then collapsed back into the water. If you found watching Gloss’ gradual descent into the water an uncomfortable sight, Ritchson shed light on this discomfort in an interview with Wired: he explained the reasons behind it.

Essentially, Katniss got hit by an arrow in her face during the game, but later, they deemed it overly violent for the scene, so they altered it and made it appear as if she was struck in the chest instead.

In an unexpected twist, it seems as if you’re mimicking the strange act of feigning an arrow wound to your face, only for the arrow to veer off course later on. It’s hardly shocking that Wiress’ demise was subtly portrayed in the movie, given that the film adaptation of Catching Fire deviated considerably from the book in several aspects, such as expanded roles for President Snow and Caesar Flickerman. However, it is worth noting that the books are significantly more brutal and had to be softened to adhere to the PG-13 rating of the franchise.

In Suzanne Collins’ sequel, Wiress was fatally wounded with an open, blood-red gash across her throat, whereas Gloss received Katniss’ arrow in his right temple almost immediately afterwards. However, in the movie adaptation, it seems that Gloss inflicted a shoulder wound on Wiress and received Katniss’ arrow in his chest before he collapsed into the water.

As a passionate movie lover, I’d never imagine that capturing a death scene on camera would feel awkward. Yet, as Alan Ritchson aptly put it, acting out a scene where you’re supposed to receive an arrow to the head when it’s actually going into your chest… well, that could be a bit of an uncomfortable spectacle to watch back later.

However, I didn’t act as if I were being shot directly in the chest. Instead, it felt more like something unexpectedly struck me in the chest, causing my head to jerk back uncontrollably. To put it another way, it wasn’t a typical shooting scenario; it was more of a sudden and startling impact. And frankly, I wouldn’t have reacted or been affected as drastically as I did if that had been the case. Who would experience such an extreme reaction to a gunshot? It just doesn’t make sense.

It’s still amusing that the actor finds it funny about his criticism towards his own portrayal of dying as a character in The Hunger Games. Yet, he does make a valid point – an arrow to the forehead would have been more impactful than a subtle tilt of the head back. If only the Titans star had known before filming Gloss’ final scene that the director changed his mind about the direction of the fatal blow. On the contrary, it might have been uncomfortable for the actor if Reacher fans found out he was the one who killed Wiress, much like how The Boys fans felt when they realized Jack Quaid’s character killed Rue in the first Hunger Games movie.

In a fascinating twist, an actor like Alan Ritchson might assume he’s about to film a death scene involving a bullet to the head. However, post-production reveals the fatal blow was actually from an arrow to the chest instead. Even in such a twisted scenario as Wiress being caught off guard by her killer, it serves as a reminder that actors don’t always know where the final cut will land.

As a movie enthusiast, I’d like to highlight that the tense and poignant death scene of Gloss from ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ can be found on multiple streaming platforms for rental. But if you’re looking for something fresh, don’t forget to catch Alan Ritchson in the latest episodes of ‘Reacher’ Season 3, which are available every Thursday, exclusively with your Amazon Prime Video subscription. Enjoy the cinematic experience!

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2025-03-12 16:07