Lee Child had no interest in becoming a writer. In fact, he worked for 18 years as a television producer, in a career that brought him enough success to keep moving forward… until in 1995, a surprise restructuring sent him packing. Then, purely for pleasure and for himself, he started writing a book that, unbeknownst to him, would become an annual tradition for him. Its protagonist, a fearless behemoth named Jack Reacher. Right now, the Reacher saga already has 29 novels (and more to come), which narrate, in a non-chronological way, the life of the ex-soldier. And if you don’t know him yet, you probably should, because he is the ultimate “dad novel.”
My name is Reacher. Jack Reacher.
Jack Reacher, in the novels, is described as a true gigantic and muscular behemoth, approximately two meters tall and tremendously intimidating. That’s why no one quite understood why, when Hollywood decided to take on the franchise, they chose Tom Cruise. Yes, an action idol capable of doing all kinds of stunts and risking his life without problems in front of a camera, but who is 1.70 meters tall and is far from being an immovable and fearsome wall.
It was 2012, Cruise had just come out of the worst image crisis of his life and wanted to collaborate, come what may, with his friend Christopher McQuarrie, with whom he would make Mission Impossible from then on. The movie resembles the original novel, One Shot, as much as an egg resembles a potato, but it grossed enough to justify a sequel in 2016 in which it was more evident than ever that all Cruise had in common with Jack Reacher was the name. The sequel was a failure, this time for sure, and although Cruise and McQuarrie have always talked about revisiting it, it seems it will remain that way forever.
Especially because, in 2022, Amazon Prime Video released, finally, the definitive version of Lee Child’s original novels, featuring a towering hulk as the protagonist, Alan Ritchson, who has become etched in everyone’s mind as the perfect body and face for this character. In fact, even the author, who once vehemently criticized Cruise (in his defense, he also apologized after seeing the movie), breathes easy every time he sees that it is in good hands: 3 seasons, 50 million views, and 3 adaptations of novels later, Reacher has already secured a fourth and even a spin-off based on Frances Neagley, the most well-known supporting character of the saga. Not bad for a franchise that we all thought would be lost forever.
And Tom? What about Tom?
Ritchson is 42 years old, so, aside from a bit of back pain when getting up from the sofa, he looks like he can handle a few more seasons without problems, although Child has already warned that some will never be adapted, either due to lack of budget, infrastructure, or simply because the plot would never be approved on today’s television. The only thing that is clear is that on November 4th he will publish the 30th book in the saga, and at 70 years old he still has time to write and finish the saga in style.
Most fans are happy, but there are some who, either out of nostalgia or ignorance of the original material, miss Tom Cruise. Obviously, the star of Top Gun: Maverick is not going to suddenly appear in an episode of the series, because the intention is to continue it on his own, if the tsunami of projects he has on his plate allows it. Personally, I wouldn’t count on it.
