When I originally watched Jack Reacher back in 2012, I didn’t know the character. I’m sure most people didn’t. So to do some Googling back then and discover that the character is the exact opposite of our diminutive runner in terms of hair colour, height, and pure size, was a concern.
Nevertheless, bar some jarring changes in tone, Jack Reacher was a perfectly serviceable film that plays up to one of mans oldest fantasies – being eminently capable, confident, and able to deal out righteousness when appropriate.
Coming back in 2026, there’s an Alan Ritchson shaped difference. We’ve now got a true to the book Reacher! I found that to actually be rather freeing for the film. Not having to think “well he isn’t that” just let me get on with following along a reasonable movie.
I did wonder if Cruise, despite the obvious differences, carried himself and spoke in a way I’d recognise as Reacher. Turns out for most of the film at least, I could imagine Ritchson doing exactly the same stuff. So in turns of it feeling like the show that I enjoy – not having read the books – it feels like it was decent. If it had been called anything else it wouldn’t have had the comparison. But maybe we wouldn’t have got the TV show either.
Perhaps it all worked out in the end.
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