British author Lee Child at the premiere of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back in 2016Jack Reacher writer Lee Child has admitted he doesn’t think Tom Cruise was the right choice to play the character on the big screen.
In Lee’s action-packed novels, the title character is described as standing “extremely broad” at 6’5”, with “hands the size of dinner plates” and blond hair.
So, when the Mission: Impossible actor was cast as the character for the 2012 film adaptation, many were left questioning whether he was the right pick.
“For instance, in one of the Tom Cruise movies, there’s a line where the detective goes to the motel and says, ‘I’m looking for a guy who could kill someone with one punch’, and they point to Tom Cruise, which is not really all that plausible,” Lee told Metro.
He went on to suggest that US actor Alan Ritchson – who has played the character in Amazon’s Reacher since 2022 – is more fitting of that description.
Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher in 2012“Finally, we’ve incorporated the physicality in a way that really matches the character,” he continued.
“The show is Reacher. He carries the whole thing. It has to be right. And especially after the pushback we got from Cruise, I thought, ‘This is totally crucial now. We can’t make two mistakes’. It was absolutely important and Alan was just right.”
However, Lee was also quick to praise Tom, describing him as a “pleasure and privilege” to work with and a “good friend” during their professional relationship.
Alan Ritchson has played Jack Reacher since 2022Tom played Jack Reacher in the 2012 movie and reprised the role in 2016 for the sequel Never Go Back.
Since its debut in 2022, the Amazon TV series Reacher has proved largely popular with both viewers and critics.
