Amazon Desevers Credit For Saving 1 Action Hero After 2 Miscast Movies

Published Oct 14, 2026, 1:00 AM EDT Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns. Before Screen Rant, he was a Senior Writer for The Cinemaholic, covering everything from anime to television, from reality TV to movies. After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back. One action hero was completely miscast in two big screen adaptations. After the movies' underwhelming depiction of the hero and their underwhelming reception, it seemed like the action franchise would never get an on-screen adaptation. Fortunately, though, Prime Video saved the day by perfectly casting the action hero in a TV adaptation. The Prime Video show, in question, is obviously Reacher. Long before Alan Ritchson stepped in Jack Reacher's boots, Tom Cruise played the role in two movies. Cruise's casting, however, was controversial from the very beginning. While Tom Cruise did his best to capture Reacher's stoic demeanor and presence, he just did not come off as the right fit for the role. Jack Reacher, which premiered in 2012, still stands as a decent action thriller. Even after all these years, the movie still has some rewatch value. Even some of its better action scenes are still talked about. However, its sequel, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, proved that the film series was bound to fail. Prime Video's Reacher, in contrast, is showing no signs of slowing down even after four seasons. Prime Video’s Reacher Saved The Lee Child Character After The Tom Cruise Movies Jack Reacher could have come off as any other detective character. As Lee Child has himself revealed (via Collider), he is also partly based on Sherlock Holmes. However, what particularly makes him stand out in the books is his physical presence. Unlike many other popular detective characters, he does not blend into the crowd too easily. He has an imposing physique, standing at 6 feet 5 inches and weighing over 200 pounds. While his stoic demeanor, deductive abilities, and minimalist philosophy are equally important aspects of his personality, his physical appearance, too, is a crucial driver of many story beats in the books. Owing to this, Tom Cruise was never a right fit for the role. Name Height Jack Reacher (in Lee Child's books) 6'5" Alan Ritchson 6'3" Tom Cruise 5'7" Alan Ritchson, on the other hand, almost comes off as a mirror image of how Lee Child envisioned Jack Reacher in the books. He stands at 6 feet 3 inches and, like the real Reacher, weighs over 200 pounds. Initially, many viewers were skeptical about whether Ritchson would have the acting chops to capture Reacher's detached world view and comfort in solitude. Time and again, though, Alan Ritchson has proven that no one else could have played the role better than him. After Ritchson's performance as Jack Reacher in all four seasons of the Prime Video show has almost made him synonymous with the character, revealing why the movies were completely miscast. Tom Cruise Was Great In The Jack Reacher Movies, But He Wasn’t Jack Reacher One of the most memorable scenes from the Jack Reacher movies is when Tom Cruise's Reacher avoids getting into a fight with a bunch of men at a bar after they intentionally confront him. However, when they keep pushing him, he does not hold back from teaching them a lesson. In the fight sequence, Reacher puts both his physical prowess and deductive abilities on full display. Tom Cruise perfectly captures Reacher's calm confidence by delivering one solid blow after another. He even dismantles the entire group by pointing out how only three of them would dare to step up while the others would fall back once the fight begins. While Tom Cruise does not physically match the towering, 6'5" giant described in Lee Child’s books, he has an undeniable commanding screen presence and charm. Owing to this, if 2012's Jack Reacher is not treated as an adaptation, it still stands as a decent action flick. As an adaptation, however, it fails to deliver the very qualities that make Lee Child's original character incredibly distinctive. Prime Video's Reacher avoids making the same mistake and gives viewers exactly what they expect from an adaptation of Lee Child's books. Reacher 8/10 Release Date February 3, 2022 Network Prime Video Without a phone and traveling light, former military police officer Jack Reacher drifts between American towns, embroiling himself in local crimes and bringing justice in his wake. Based on the series of novels by Lee Child, Reacher's journey offers him an intimate understanding of the nation he once served. Jack Reacher 7/10 Release Date December 21, 2012 Runtime 2h 10m After a mass shooting takes place, homicide investigator Jack Reacher digs into the case to hunt down the sniper who committed the heinous act. Jack Reacher stars Tom Cruise as the titular character and was directed by Christopher McQuarrie. The success of the 2012 film led to a sequel, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, releasing in 2016. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back 4/10 Release Date October 21, 2016 Runtime 118 minutes Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is the sequel to the 2012 original based on the Novel by Lee Child. Finally trying to meet face to face with his support over the years, Jack heads to Washington to meet Major Susan Turner, only to discover that she has been accused of treason and arrested. Jack quickly deduces that she is being framed - and after helping her escape, the two team up to get to the center of a deadly government conspiracy.