‘The Readers Were Terribly Upset.’ Jack Reacher Fans Were Not Happy With Tom Cruise’s Casting, And Creator Lee Childs Has No Problem Admitting They Were Right

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When a franchise is rebooted, it often happens that the second version addresses and alters any issues noticed in the initial release. For instance, when reviving the Reacher series as a streaming program, this meant one key adjustment – casting an actor with a substantial build for the lead role. This change was necessitated by the admission of the author of the Jack Reacher books himself that Tom Cruise’s stature in the original adaptation was less than ideal.

Prior to Alan Ritchson embodying the character in ‘Reacher’ (streamable on Prime Video), Tom Cruise previously portrayed the drifting tough guy in a couple of blockbuster films. These films received decent box office success, and Lee Child, the author who conceived the character, praised the first movie to The Independent, stating that it was actually quite good, despite acknowledging that many fans felt Tom Cruise wasn’t the ideal choice for the role. Child commented:

I found the first film to be exceptional, boasting a sharp, tense thriller style. Collaborating with Tom was delightful; he’s an intelligent individual, an astute director, and simply fun to work with. However, one cannot ignore the fact that Reacher is a massive figure – this characteristic plays a significant role in his interactions with the world. He’s large, unyielding, intimidating, and while Tom did a great job portraying Reacher’s personality, he didn’t quite capture the physical imposing nature of the character. As a result, many readers expressed their disappointment, and I believe they had a valid point.

Typically, a film featuring Tom Cruise would generate significant interest and anticipation among viewers. However, this didn’t hold true for the 2012 release “Jack Reacher” or its 2016 sequel. Contrary to expectations, fans were not thrilled about Cruise playing the character due to his physical stature, as he is known to be on the slimmer side, which didn’t align well with the character he portrayed.

In the process of transforming source content into movies, characters can undergo alterations. For instance, the racial or ethnic background of a character might be shifted based on the actor chosen for the role, but these modifications typically do not significantly impact the way the character is portrayed.

It’s essential to Jack Reacher’s character and the vision Lee Child had for him that he is usually the largest and strongest individual in any given room. Removing this aspect would mean we’re no longer dealing with Jack Reacher. Despite Tom Cruise being excellent in every other respect, he struggled to embody that defining characteristic.

The Amazon Prime Video series titled “Reacher,” currently on its third season, steers clear of such issues. Actor Alan Ritchson, who is typically the largest in any given room, possesses the physical appearance that the character demands. As for the casting decision, I believe the series couldn’t have made a better choice, according to Child’s opinion…

Alan was born to play Reacher and I think he knows that.

Even so, imitating Tom Cruise isn’t a walk in the park, according to Ritchson. After getting cast, he attempted to contact Cruise, but it seems they haven’t had a conversation as of yet. It remains undisclosed how Cruise feels about the public reaction to him portraying that role.

It appears that while some fans might not have been fully supportive of Tom Cruise, there’s a strong appreciation for Alan Ritchson in the role, as evidenced by the fact that work on Reacher Season 4 has already begun.

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2025-03-13 16:08