Lee Child’s Persuader is the perfect book choice for Reacher season 3, but it comes with its own set of potential casting complications and challenges

SUMMARY

 Reacher season 3 faces casting challenges due to Paulie’s unique appearance, being nearly 7 feet tall and more muscle-bound than Reacher.
 Season 1 of Reacher found success by offering a small-scale conspiracy in a small town, unlike other spy shows with massive scales.
 Reacher season 2 fell short of season 1’s reception by adding too many players and a bigger conspiracy, but season 3 returns to simplicity.

While it is good that Reacher season 3 is adapting Lee Child’s Persuader, the book choice creates some major casting challenges for the Amazon show. Reacher season 1 turned out to be way more successful on Prime Video than anticipated because it brought something new to the spy thriller genre.

When most spy-centric shows focused on creating high-stakes dramas with massive scales, Reacher season 1 unfolded in a small town, focusing on a small-scale but gripping conspiracy.

Despite having a talented roster of cast members, Reacher season 2 could not match season 1’s reception because it added way too many players into the mix and focused on a relatively bigger conspiracy instead of keeping things simple and grounded.

The fact that Reacher season 3 is adapting Lee Child’s Persuader means the Amazon show is going back to its season 1 roots. However, adapting Persuader also comes with its own set of headaches and issues.

Casting Persuader’s Paulie Is A Massive Challenge For Reacher Season 3

Some intriguing casting choices for Reacher season 3 have already been made. For instance, it has been confirmed that the book’s main villain, Quinn, will be portrayed by Brian Tee. Other characters from the original book, like Richard Beck, Guillermo Villanueva, Steven Elliot, Zachary Beck, and Susan Duff, have also been cast for Reacher season 3.

However, one character, Paul “Paulie” Masserella, whose casting could prove challenging, has not officially been cast for Reacher season 3. Finding the right actor to portray Paulie in season 3 will be significantly hard due to his unique appearance.

Paulie is nearly 7 feet tall, which is nearly half a foot more than the book’s version of Jack Reacher.

According to the original Lee Child novel, Paulie is not only taller than Reacher but also more muscle-bound than him. The book also hints that Paulie is nearly 7 feet tall, nearly half a foot more than the book’s version of Jack Reacher.

Since Alan Ritchson, who is close to 6’2”, is portraying the 6’5” Jack Reacher, the show’s Paulie does not have to be 7 feet tall. However, he still has to be taller and bigger than Alan Ritchson’s Jack Reacher, which presents a considerable challenge because not many actors can make Alan Ritchson look physically smaller on the screen.

Finding an actor who not only matches Paulie’s massive stature but also possesses the necessary acting chops to authentically bring the character to life may not be an easy feat. However, it is not impossible since some actors do fit the bill.

For instance, Icelandic strongman Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who played “The Mountain” in Game of Thrones, is around 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighs close to 200 kgs (440 lbs). Danish actor Kim Kold, who stands at 6’4” and has a well-established line of work in films like Fast & Furious 6, could be another potential candidate.

Olivier Richters, a.k.a. “The Dutch Giant,” who stands at a towering 7 feet 2 inches, could also convincingly portray Paulie in Reacher season 3. With films like Black Widow, The King’s Man, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny on his portfolio, Richters also has a few years of acting experience under his belt.

While it is unknown whether Reacher season 3 will cast one of these actors to portray Paulie, the show seems to have quite a few casting options to explore despite the clear limitations.