Lee Child was reportedly happy that Reacher opted to cast a larger actor to play his iconic character. Jack Reacher was previously played by Tom Cruise in two cinematic adaptations of the Jack Reacher novels, with Alan Ritchson stepping in as the character for the new TV show. Reacher is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

The Jack Reacher character originated in the pages of Lee Child's beloved thriller novels. In the books, the character is described as an enormous and imposing figure, standing six foot five with “hands the size of dinner plates.” This caused a slight backlash when Tom Cruise was cast for the live-action adaptation in Jack Reacher and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, with some arguing that Cruise lacked the stature to embody the role properly. In this new show, the part has traded hands from Cruise to Ritchson, a considerably larger actor known for his roles in Blue Mountain State, Titans, and Smallville – all of which took full advantage of his almost hulking stature.

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Now, with Reacher streaming on Amazon Prime, Child has opened up about the development of the series and the shift from Tom Cruise to Alan Ritchson. Specifically, in a recent interview with Metro.co.uk the writer noted that he was pleased to see the on-screen character become more like his written counterpart. Check out his comments below:

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.

Alan Ritchson in Jack Reacher

Cruise’s Reacher was imposing in the sense that he could outclass almost anybody in physical combat, but the films often portrayed him as a scrappy fighter rather than an intimidating powerhouse. As Child explains, a major part of the character is the animalistic intensity and brute force afforded to him by his massive size, something Ritchson brings to the table. However, Child did also make sure to note that he understands the fact that some fans liked Cruise’s portrayal; it just wasn’t true to the Jack Reacher source material.

Of course, only time will tell if this recasting leads to a second season of Reacher on Amazon Prime. Ritchson embodies the character quite well in both his performance and his physical stature, and reviews for Reacher have been largely positive so far. That said, no official announcement for season 2 has been made yet, so fans will have to wait and see if Ritchson gets to adapt another Jack Reacher novel in live-action. Reacher is available to stream now.

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Source: Metro.co.uk