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Considering Reacher’s future on Amazon Prime Video, it looks like Alan Ritchson will easily break a Tom Cruise record. Based on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books, both the Amazon show and the two Tom Cruise-starring movies presented their takes on Jack Reacher. While both experienced some level of success with their adaptation of Lee Child’s stories, one seems to have accomplished a lot more from a critical and commercial standpoint.
The Tom Cruise movies had a decent start when the first Jack Reacher flick earned almost $220 million against a budget of $60 million. Its sequel, however, failed to leave its mark at the box office after barely earning enough to break even. Even the critical reception for both films remained mixed. Amazon’s Reacher, in contrast, has performed exceptionally well critically and commercially. It is not only becoming one of Prime Video’s most valuable IPs but also boasts an above 90% Rotten Tomatoes critics score. Alan Ritchson’s portrayal of Reacher also breaks a record set by Tom Cruise.
Alan Ritchson Will Have Been Reacher For Over 4 Years By The Time Season 4 Drops
He Will Be Playing Jack Reacher Far Longer Than Tom Cruise
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While Tom Cruise’s first Jack Reacher movie premiered in 2012, its sequel hit the big screens four years later in 2016. This allowed Tom Cruise to remain the live-action Jack Reacher for four long years. Alan Ritchson, on the other hand, started playing the character in 2022. Although he has only played the character for a little over three years so far, he will eventually break Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher streak. Reacher’s return after season 4 has already been confirmed. This suggests that, after Reacher season 3 lands on Prime Video in 2025, the show will receive another installment.
Although Ritchson is already considered synonymous with the character after his portrayal in seasons 1 and 2, his continued involvement with the series for years to come will further solidify his association with the role.
Most details surrounding Reacher season 4 remain undisclosed. However, considering the show’s release schedule, it could be released sometime in 2026. By 2026, Alan Ritchson will have played the Lee Child character for more than four years, making him the longest-running live-action actor to portray Jack Reacher. Although Ritchson is already considered synonymous with the character after his portrayal in seasons 1 and 2, his continued involvement with the series for years to come will further solidify his association with the role.
Alan Ritchson’s Run As Jack Reacher Is Already More Impressive Than Tom Cruise’s
His Take On The Character Has Been Appreciated More
Presently, Tom Cruise seems to have a greater number of years under his belt as Jack Reacher. However, when it comes to screen time, Ritchson is far ahead because of the Amazon show’s television format. Ritchson’s portrayal of the character has also been appreciated more by most viewers and critics because he looks the part. Perfectly aligning with Lee Child’s descriptions of the character, Alan Ritchson is incredibly tall and muscle-bound. He also has a solid screen presence and convincingly portrays Jack Reacher’s brute strength and invincibility.
With his acting forte, Tom Cruise, too, did a commendable job of portraying the fictional character. However, many followers of Lee Child’s works were disappointed with his casting because Jack Reacher’s colossal stature is one of the primary markers of his identity in the books. Without his height and wide frame, Jack Reacher would just be any other fictional detective or action hero. This makes Alan Ritchson’s run as Jack Reacher far more impressive than Tom Cruise’s.
What Prime Video’s Reacher Show Got Right That The Tom Cruise Movies Didn’t
The Show Did Not Drift Too Far From The Books
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The Jack Reacher movies and the Prime Video show have taken significant creative liberties while adapting Lee Child’s works. Their deviations also make sense because it is nearly impossible to accurately translate written content to the audiovisual storytelling medium. However, the movies received more hate because they took these narrative changes a little too far. While the show has remained true to the essence of Lee Child’s books, the Jack Reacher movies could not even get the casting right.
Movie/Show Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score Jack Reacher (2012) 64% 67% Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) 37% 42% Reacher Season 1 (2022) 92% 91% Reacher Season 2 (2023) 98% 78%
Despite having Lee Child’s Never Go Back in its title, the second Jack Reacher movie also proved to be far more formulaic and underwhelming than its source, contributing to its relatively low box office numbers. Since the original Jack Reacher novels follow a serialized format, with each new installment following a standalone story, the movies’ limited runtime prevented them from fully capturing the layers of all stories in the books. Amazon’s Reacher, in contrast, has enough time in each season to explore everything from Jack Reacher’s side quests to his short-lived romantic endeavors.