What’s next for Justin Hartley after ‘This Is Us’?
As the final season of This Is Us comes closer & closer to reality, we have to ask the ultimate question: what is next for the stars of our favorite television drama? Which projects will they be going to next?
This Is Us’s Justin Hartley is an obvious first pick to look into. Though our beloved NBC show wasn’t his breakout part – that was his role as Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow in Smallville – This Is Us still boosted his career quite a bit, as Hartley captured our hearts in the role of Kevin. He’s Number 1 of the “Big Three” for a reason, and we love watching him grow & shift as a character.
But every actor has to move onto other roles. What have those roles been, and what should we be looking forward to? Let’s find out together what’s coming up for this amazing star.
The Exchange
So . . . are we the only ones who haven’t heard of this movie?
The Exchange is a film that was just released at the end of July about an anxious young man named Tim. When he signs up for the school’s exchange student program, he and his family end up hosting a young man from France named Stéphane. Stéphane isn’t exactly what Tim expected, to say the least, and as the two boys get to know each other, hilarity, awkwardness, and eventual friendship ensues.
From his top spot on the poster, you might think Justin Hartley of This Is Us is playing Tim, or maybe Tim’s father. Instead, the NBC star acts as Tim’s school gym teacher, Gary Rothbauer. He does a good job in this role, though the character is a bit cringey – Rothbauer tells the black Stéphane that he “doesn’t see color” to the young man’s face. Yikes . . .
The Exchange received overall positive reviews from critics and currently holds at 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If you’re interested in watching it, The Exchange is available to purchase or rent on YouTube, Vudu, Prime Video, or Apple TV.
Injustice
Superheroes, anyone? Injustice: Gods Among Us is a fighting video game from 2013, featuring everybody’s favorite characters from various DC Comics. You got Batman, Superman, the Joker, and more, all battling each other for supremacy and the sake of justice (depending on which side you’re on).
This game was later turned into a series of official prequel comics from 2013 to 2016, and now, an animated film is in development, set to release sometime in fall of 2021, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This Is Us’s Justin Hartley voices Superman (also known as Clark Kent or Kal-El) in this flick, but he isn’t the same justice-filled hero we know & love.
In the Injustice universe, the Joker tricks him into killing a pregnant Lois Lane and bombing the city of Metropolis with a nuclear weapon! As a result, Superman murders The Joker and quickly loses his sense of right & wrong, ruling the world with an iron fist. Batman creates an organization to try and stop this global empire, and thus, the story began.
It’s a shame we can’t see Justin Hartley act on screen in this flick, but hearing his beautiful voice coming out of Superman’s handsome body is truly going to be a treat. We can’t wait to see the Injustice movie later this season.
The Never Game
Finally, we have the biggest project that Hartley has had a hand in: The Never Game. This is a show that the This Is Us actor is not only starring in, but executive producing in as well! The CBS series is based on a book by Jeffrey Deaver, and a pilot has currently been ordered, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In The Never Game, a private investigator roams the country as a “reward seeker”, helping the police solve crimes. But when one investigation is deeper than it seems, suddenly everything goes awry, and he finds himself caught in a web of mysteries.
Justin Hartley did such a good job with This Is Us, so we’re all very excited to see him star in another TV series!
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As we look forward to This Is Us season 6, which Justin Hartley project are you anticipating the most? Let us know in the comments – we want to hear from you!
