Alan Ritchson’s Reacher Taught Hollywood A Valuable Lesson They Should Never Forget

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Alan Ritchson may not become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but his portrayal of Reacher in the popular streaming series has proven he can compete with even the most famous actors. He seems perfectly cast as the lead character in the Prime Video adaptation of Lee Child’s novels.

Alan Ritchson’s portrayal of Jack Reacher stays faithful to the character in the novels, while also bringing the physicality and skills needed for exciting action scenes. This role is definitely Ritchson’s strongest performance to date, but it’s also received a lot of attention and criticism.

It’s natural to compare Alan Ritchson’s portrayal of Jack Reacher to Tom Cruise’s, but Ritchson actually embodies the character better. While Cruise is a more famous actor, Ritchson is a more perfect match for the antihero created by Lee Child.

Prime Video’s Reacher Is A Lot More Accurate To The Books Than The Movies

Beyond Alan Ritchson’s excellent performance as Jack Reacher, the Prime Video series is a much truer adaptation of Lee Child’s books. The show surpasses the previous Reacher movies starring Tom Cruise, largely because it develops characters more fully and incorporates key details from the novels.

The TV series carefully recreates scenes directly from the books, most notably the famous prison sequence from Lee Child’s first Jack Reacher novel, Killing Floor. In contrast, the Tom Cruise movies feel more like action films built around the star, and less like faithful adaptations of the original stories.

Tom Cruise Was The Wrong Choice To Play Jack Reacher

Choosing Tom Cruise to play Jack Reacher was a risky move from the start. Cruise doesn’t match the character’s imposing physical size as described in Lee Child’s books, and his usual personality doesn’t fit a reserved, intimidating ex-military police officer who rarely speaks.

The decision to cast Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher created a major problem. Instead of letting Cruise become the Reacher from the books, the filmmakers had to rewrite the character to fit Cruise’s persona. This ultimately disappointed fans of the novels, as the Reacher they knew was significantly different in the movies.

There’s More To A Good Adaptation Than Just Being Accurate

The Reacher series on streaming is an improvement over the films, and not just because it stays true to the books. The show really develops its key characters – like Frances Neagley and Roscoe Conklin – with more detail, and the longer, eight-episode format allows it to do so effectively.

Above all, the Prime Video series Reacher captures the essence of the original novels. A truly successful adaptation focuses on this overall feeling, rather than getting every small detail exactly right. The Jack Reacher movies starring Tom Cruise don’t quite capture that same spirit, and could benefit from the approach taken by Alan Ritchson.

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2026-01-09 07:48