Actor Jack Reacher recalled the criticism on Hollywood star Tom Cruise’s version of Jack Reacher while detailing a heartfelt gesture for the latter.

SUMMARY

The actor, known for his works in Fast X, is presuming his role as the military veteran Jack Reacher in Season 2 of Reacher.
Having established himself in the action genre, Alan Ritchson is of the view that he ideally resembles the titular character as per the books.

Hollywood star Alan Ritchson’s good intention wasn’t paid heed to. The actor, known for his works in Fast X, Ghosts of War, and Lazer Team among others, is presuming his role as the military veteran Jack Reacher in Season 2 of Reacher.

The TV series premiered in February 2022, and three episodes of season 2 have already taken off this December, bringing Ritchson to the limelight once again.

Alan Ritchson in Reacher

In a recent interview, Ritchson candidly highlighted how Tom Cruise’s representation in the franchise was significant.

He admitted to having written a letter of heartfelt thoughts for the Cruise, but sadly, it never reached him. On the other hand, the actor also noted how Cruise wasn’t ideal for the character yet, accomplished as Jack Reacher in the movies.

Alan Ritchson’s plan gone wrong

Alan Ritchson in Reacher
The 41-year-old actor followed in Tom Cruise’s footsteps, to become the next Jack Reacher. Reacher is based on author Lee Child’s novel series on Jack Reacher. Having established himself in the action genre, Alan Ritchson is of the view that he ideally resembles the titular character as per the books. Whereas, Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise did not because of his physical attributes.

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live last week, Ritchson opened up about the letter he had penned down for Cruise and poured his thoughts on the latter’s depiction of the former army veteran. He said,

“I know what you know. He’s taken some criticism for the role, because he doesn’t aesthetically fit the role of Reacher perfectly, according to the books. This guy still did two movies that grossed over $300 million, and doesn’t even fit.” 

Hinting at the criticism the 5’7 actor might have faced during his portrayal of Jack Reacher in 2012’s Jack Reacher and 2016’s Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Ritchson stated that even though Cruise’s physique wasn’t ideal, his movies still made an impressive income.

Nonetheless, the Fast X actor was quick enough to divert the focus towards the success and recognition Cruise has brought to Jack Reacher. He intended to express his gratitude to the star through the letter, but his boss and Cruise’s partner Don Granger did not allow it.

What kind of criticism did Tom Cruise face?

Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher
After Tom Cruise was featured in Hollywood’s version of Jack Reacher in 2012, book fans were not convinced by the representation. According to the books, Reacher is described as a 6’5 tall, sturdy man. In comparison, Cruise was 5’7 and not as broad, and bulky as described. Even author Lee Child addressed the matter in an interview with Metro.co.uk. and said,

“There was criticism from the book fans, because they had built up a very clear image of what Reacher should look like…I think that the size thing is important to certain parts of the narrative. Reacher has got to scare people and you can do that so much easier with one glance of this huge animal rather than a normal-sized actor.”

However, those who hadn’t read the books were undeniably impressed by Cruise’s version of Jack Reacher. Notably, the first season of the Reacher series followed the storyline of Lee Child’s 1997 book, Killing Floor while the second season is an adaptation of the following novels Bad Luck and Trouble, per Variety.

Unlike their primary season, the showrunners have decided to spread out the episode releases with the season finale premiering on January 18th, 2024.