Alan Ritchson’s Jack Reacher is quite different from Tom Cruise’s version, and fans seem to love his version more as well. They believed that the actor looked the part more accurately, which is very important along with the storyline.
Although not to discredit Cruise’s films, his adaptations helped the franchise gain popularity and even wider audience reach. Now that Ritchson has replaced the Mission: Impossible star, there are a range of questions that will be answered in the series.
Amazon’s Reacher Skipped Tom Cruise’s One Shot Storyline
Many would be wondering if Reacher would incorporate Tom Cruise’s storyline into the series, and the answer is no. Fans would notice that Season 2 took place about three years following the events in the first installment. A lot of things would have happened in between those two periods.
In the second episode called What Happens in Atlantic City, Jack Reacher mentions the name James Barr, who was present in the One Shot storyline that Cruise adapted in his movies. This is enough evidence that the plot has already happened and will not be adapted anymore. This decision was made perhaps to avoid comparison with Tom Cruise’s version.
What would they have for fans now that the third season has been confirmed? Alan Ritchson spoke with AP News and shared:
“There are so many options. There was a lot of discussion, and I think every year there’s going to be a lot of discussion. Myself included, I’ve read every book. A lot of people involved in this with a much higher pay grade than mine have read the books. Everybody’s got their favorites. Everybody wants to see their favorite story come to life on screen.”
Ritchson also remarked that being the less popular actor to play Jack Reacher was a huge gamble for Amazon Prime, and it truly proved in the end what a great show it is after fans started following the series. He added:
“The fact that the guy they got to play Reacher was not really a household name, a little less recognizable, it was a little harder to get people to talk to us. I think Amazon took a risk. But then when people watched the season, and the numbers came in, it started to get treated differently.”
Eventually, Reacher found its perfect actor in Ritchson, who not only looked the part to the most accurate description but also in his embodiment of the character.
Alan Ritchson Never Watched Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher
Reacher choosing to stay away from any of Tom Cruise’s storylines showed how they wanted the series to go with Alan Ritchson’s depiction of the character. The actor once told The Wrap that he wanted to give Jack Reacher the most authentic portrayal. He even admitted to never seeing any of Cruise’s film versions. He explained:
“Those were just movies that I missed, and when I got involved [in the show], I just decided I didn’t want to risk picking up any of the choices that he made. And it would be easy to do because Tom is a legend, and I grew up watching him. I revere his work. I think it would be inevitable that I’d try and steal something of his because he’s so good.”
Ritchson is already killing it in the show, and the producers clearly want to make Amazon’s adaptation the best version of Jack Reacher.
