Amazon has been carving out some space for men named Jack. First came the John Krasinski-starring Jack Ryan; now, it’s Jack Reacher’s turn. Amazon has been developing the TV adaptation based on Lee Child’s best-selling book series for the past year. Most will remember that Tom Cruise starred as Jack Reacher in the film adaptation and the sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. However, Child and Amazon execs decided to go a different route by casting a Titans star in the lead role.
Alan Ritchson has been cast to play Jack Reacher, a former major in the U.S. military who takes up investigating jobs deemed suspicious and dangerous. Per Deadline, the first season of the Amazon series will be based on Lee Child’s first Jack Reacher novel, The Killing Floor. The Amazon series will be executive produced, written, and showrun by Nick Santora.
When the series was first announced, Lee Child confirmed that Tom Cruise would not be back to play the titular character. The primary reason cited was that Cruise didn’t fit the physical description from the books (the character is 6’5” and Cruise is 5’7”). Meanwhile, Amazon President Jennifer Salke added that they were “determined to find somebody who can embody that character” for Child and the fans.
That person turned out to be Alan Ritchson, whose 6’4” stature is more in line with the character’s description from the books, and I’d wager that this casting news will likely please the most ardent of Jack Reacher fans. That said, it’d be remiss to ignore what Tom Cruise did for the character. 2012’s Jack Reacher introduced him to a larger audience and, despite height complaints, Cruise is a well-known action star who helped put Jack Reacher on more people’s radar.
On Titans, Alan Ritchson plays Hank Hall/Hawk alongside series stars Anna Diop, Minka Kelly, and Brenton Thwaites. The DC Universe series was renewed for Season 3 last year, and Ritchson recently attended a panel for the DC FanDome event to discuss the upcoming season. At the moment, it’s unclear when Titans will go back into production, but the actor will reportedly be working on both series. That’s good news for anyone who was worried that Ritchson’s new job would impact his role on Titans.
Alan Ritchson also appeared as Arthur Curry/Aquaman in four episodes of Smallville, as young Scully on NBC’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and as Gloss in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, among several other projects. However, he’s perhaps best known for his role as Thad Castle in the sports comedy Blue Mountain State.
Jack Reacher does not yet have a premiere date, but stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates on the Amazon series. In the meantime, be sure to check out our 2020 fall TV premiere guide for more options.
