New York— Glen Powell says he spent one of the most nerve-wracking nights of his career waiting for an email from Stephen King. Speaking onstage at New York Comic Con, the actor revealed that before officially landing the lead in Edgar Wright’s new adaptation of The Running Man, King himself had to approve his casting.
“I did have… the only interaction I had is Edgar (Wright) offered me this movie and I was like, yes,” Powell told the crowd. “He’s like, you’re my Ben Richards. And I’m like, let’s go. And then later that night, he’s like, by the way, you have to be approved by Stephen King. And I was like, how does that happen?”
Wright told him King planned to watch Hit Man, Powell’s recent Netflix hit, to decide. “So I had to wait overnight for Stephen King to watch Hit Man and hope that I still had the role in the morning. It was terrible,” Powell said. “He loved it, thank God.”
That long night became the stuff of Hollywood anxiety legend. Powell laughed as he recalled trying to stay calm, knowing the master of horror was judging whether he could embody a character who runs for his life. The next morning, Wright confirmed that King had given his blessing.
Director Edgar Wright, who joined Powell onstage, confirmed the story. “I don’t want to speak for him because he’s seen the movie,” Wright said of King. “He really loved it. He said in an email, ‘It’s more faithful to the book to keep the fans happy, but different enough to keep me on my toes and excited.’ And I was thinking, okay, I’ll take that.”
Powell’s approval saga set the tone for a panel filled with humor and creative energy. Discussing how the movie balances intensity and wit, Powell praised Wright’s skill in mixing genres. “Tension and comedy are sort of married together in a lot of ways,” he said. “When you have a guy like Edgar Wright who really understands how to marry those moments together, you get a tonal cinematic feast where you’re simultaneously watching a guy who’s in danger for his life, but also laughing at the circumstances.”
He added that his character exists in contrast to the colorful, game-show world that surrounds him. “Colman Domingo’s character and Josh Brolin’s character are in this fun, bright reality world,” Powell said. “And I’m a guy who’s like, this is real for me. This is life or death. That’s the fun collision in this movie, and Edgar marries those tones together.”
By the end of the presentation, it was clear that the fear Powell once felt waiting on King’s decision had been replaced by pride. The author’s blessing, Wright’s direction, and the film’s mix of chaos and satire make The Running Man one of the most anticipated releases of 2026.
Originally published on Enstarz