Tom Cruise Vs Alan Ritchson: Who Played The Best Jack Reacher?
Jack Reacher originated in the series of novels by Lee Child, in which he’s described as 250 pounds, 6-ft 5-inches, and as having “a six-pack like a cobbled city street, a chest like a suit of NFL armor, biceps like basketballs, and subcutaneous fat like a Kleenex tissue.” But when Hollywood got a hold of him, they hired Tom Cruise to portray that mountain of muscle in 2012’s “Jack Reacher” and 2016’s “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.” Unfortunately, at 5-ft 7 inches, the “Mission: Impossible” star just didn’t work for many fans. An article in the LA Times quotes one incensed Reacher adherent thusly:
“I can not [sic] believe they actually used an arrogant overexposed short IMBECILE to create such an awesome character. I will not see it and it literally RUINED the whole character for me. HOW COULD THEY DO THIS?”
After “Never Go Back,” Cruise’s diminutive version of the ex-military police officer disappeared. When Jack Reacher returned to our screens in 2022, it was by way of a TV series that starred an all-new actor in the lead role. The Alan Ritchson-starring “Reacher” debuted on Amazon Prime Video in February of that year, and quickly broke Prime Video records, hitting the top of the Nielsen streaming chart and being renewed for a second season just three days after it launched. All of which was very impressive, but the most impressive aspect was the 6-ft 3-inch, 230-pound Ritchson.
The fans evidently loved Ritchson in the lead role, having waited for a more book-accurate version of Jack Reacher for years. Now, finally, it seemed they’d gotten their wish, with a former “Smallville” and “Titans” star giving them the imposing presence they so craved. But was Cruise unfairly overlooked? Or is Ritchson truly the definitive Reacher?
Tom Cruise Vs Alan Ritchson: Who Played The Best Jack Reacher?
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