Glen Powell plays Ben Richards in the 2025 The Running Man; Arnold Schwarzenegger played the same character in the 1987 film. Beyond that lead-role match, the credited casts differ, and the available official listings do not establish one-to-one counterparts for the other characters.
Who plays Ben Richards in the new The Running Man?
Glen Powell is Ben Richards in the 2025 film, while Arnold Schwarzenegger played Richards in the 1987 movie. This is the clearest direct comparison between the two casts: both actors are credited as the same central character.
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Paramount Global Content describes the 2025 story as a near-future televised contest in which contestants must survive 30 days while professional assassins hunt them and their movements are broadcast. The Associated Press describes the 1987 film as a lethal reality-show story starring Schwarzenegger as Richards. Both films adapt Stephen King’s story, but their cast and character details belong to their own versions.
The confirmed cast comparison
| Version | Actor | Character | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Glen Powell | Ben Richards | Direct match with the 1987 lead character. |
| 1987 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Ben Richards | Direct match with the 2025 lead character. |
Paramount’s 1987 film page also names Amber Mendez, played by Maria Conchita Alonso, and Damon Killian, played by Richard Dawson. Paramount Global Content’s 2025 listing names Amelia Williams and Damon Killian among its cast entries, but the available records do not establish that Amelia Williams is Amber Mendez or that the 2025 Damon Killian is the same role as the 1987 character. A shared or similar name is not enough to confirm an equivalent role.
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Principal cast listed for the 2025 film
Paramount Global Content’s listing gives these actor-character credits for the 2025 film:
- Glen Powell as Ben Richards
- William H. Macy as Molie
- Lee Pace as Evan McCone
- Emilia Jones as Amelia Williams
- Michael Cera as Elton Perrakis
- Sean Hayes as Gary Greenbacks
- Colman Domingo as Bobby T
- Josh Brolin as Dan Killian
The listing identifies the film’s premiere as November 14, 2025, and gives a runtime of 120 minutes. Its visible cast text contains apparent spelling and spacing errors for Emilia Jones and Colman Domingo; the names above use their common spellings. Check final screen credits or another authoritative cast record for confirmation of any disputed credit spelling.
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Named roles in the 1987 film
Paramount’s 1987 page identifies Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards, Maria Conchita Alonso as Amber Mendez, and Richard Dawson as Damon Killian. Those are the named roles supported by the cited official page for this focused comparison. The available records do not provide a complete crosswalk matching every 2025 character to a 1987 character, so the remaining 2025 cast entries are best read as credits for that film rather than presumed remakes of specific 1987 roles.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the casts should not be paired role by role
These are separate adaptations of Stephen King’s story. The shared premise and the direct Ben Richards casting match do not establish that the other characters carry over unchanged. In particular, similar surnames—such as Damon Killian and Dan Killian—or a character’s position in a cast list cannot prove that two credits refer to the same role.
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For a reliable side-by-side, treat Richards as the confirmed character match, and keep the other named credits attached to the film version in which they appear unless authoritative credits explicitly establish a connection.
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