Amazon’s Reacher has become a runaway success, delivering a fresh and compelling adaptation of Lee Child’s bestselling novels. With its intense action sequences and faithful portrayal of Jack Reacher, the show has won over audiences.
Of course, it was the second huge adaptation of Lee Child’s work. The first came in the form of the two Tom Cruise-starrers, released in 2012 and ’16, respectively. While Cruise’s casting was met with criticism due to his physical disparity from the book’s description, his portrayal still left a lasting impression. This was also true with respect to Alan Ritchson, who even claimed his series would never have happened without the Mission Impossible star.
Alan Ritchson acknowledged Tom Cruise’s contributions to Reacher
Despite the mixed reception of Cruise’s Jack Reacher films, there remains a deep respect for his dedication to the role. His take on the character may not have aligned with Child’s original vision, but he undeniably brought a unique intensity to the screen. Many have wondered whether Cruise had any involvement with Amazon’s Reacher, but Alan Ritchson has clarified that he did not receive any direct input from the Hollywood star.
As a gesture of gratitude, Ritchson penned a letter to Cruise, thanking him for his work in expanding the Reacher brand. Speaking in an interview, Ritchson said, (via Screen Rant)
I just felt it was the respectful thing to do. Say what you want about whether he was right for Reacher or not, most people know about Reacher because of Mr. Cruise.
Ritchson’s letter, however, never reached Cruise directly. According to Reacher producer Don Granger, Cruise had already moved on from the franchise and had given his blessing to the new series.
Alan Ritchson’s Reacher is simply the more accurate one!
Ritchson has every right to credit Tom Cruise for the inception of the Amazon Prime series. However, fans of both the novels and the character will agree that Ritchson’s iteration wins out on several accounts. Alan Ritchson’s Reacher is book-accurate, a quiet, unsmiling wrecking-ball of a human being who gets fazed by no challenge.
Instead, Tom Cruise’s iteration of the character, although entertaining, simply did not stand up to the physical description in Lee Child’s work. Further, the series does a greater job of staying true to the source material, and the two seasons thus far have taken direct inspiration from the books.
For example, season 2 was based on Child’s Bad Luck and Trouble, while season 1 was based on Killing Floor. Season 3, which premiered recently on Amazon on February 20, is based on Persuader.
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