Jack Reacher (other)

Jack Reacher is the protagonist of a series of crime thriller novels by British author Lee Child, a 2012 film adaptation, its 2016 sequel, and a television series on Amazon Prime Video. In the stories, Jack Reacher was a major in the U.S. Army's military police. After leaving the army, Reacher roamed the United States, taking odd jobs, investigating suspicious and dangerous situations, and resolving them.

, there are 29 novels and short stories in the ''Reacher'' series. Five of the novels were adapted for cinema and television. Two of the adaptations are films starring Tom Cruise as Reacher: ''Jack Reacher'' (2012) from the ninth novel, '' One Shot;'' and '' Jack Reacher: Never Go Back'' (2016) from the eighteenth novel, '' Never Go Back''.

The third adaptation, '' Reacher'', is a television series on Amazon Prime Video, starring Alan Ritchson. The first season, adapted from the first novel, '' Killing Floor'', premiered on 4 February 2022. The second season, from ''Bad Luck and Trouble,'' premiered 14 December 2023. The third season, based on the book ''Persuader'', premiered on 20 February 2025.

Character development and perception

Lee Child was unemployed when he wrote '' Killing Floor'' after being fired as a union shop steward for Granada Television.

The character's name first came to Child while he was in a supermarket when an old lady, noting the span of his arms, asked for his help in reaching a can of pears. Many have commented on similarities between Child and his fictional character. Child tends to agree with such observations: "I was huge as a kid and Reacher's stature is me translated as a kid." Canadian journalist Malcolm Gladwell wrote in ''The New Yorker'' of a difference between the symbolism of the Reacher character and of traditional Western characters:

Others are critical of the various implausibilities and contradictions present in the character and his behavior. ''The Washington Post'' journalist Kevin Nance wrote: Michael Cavacini concurred, saying unlike traditional whodunits, where a detective "simply solves a problem because it's his job", Reacher has no formal reason to be involved in anything and consequently "seems to always wind up in a situation where something goes wrong and he must make right". Prominent mystery fiction editor Otto Penzler wrote that Reacher's character reflects the chivalrous knight errant of medieval lore, as opposed to an anti-hero tormented by addiction and haunted by past misbehavior.

Author's commentary and interpretation

Child views Jack Reacher as a "happy-go-lucky guy. He has quirks and problems, but the thing is, he doesn't know he's got them. Hence, no tedious self-pity. He's smart and strong, an introvert, but any anguish he suffers is caused by others." He was asked about the casting of Tom Cruise in the role of Jack Reacher. Cruise's casting as Jack Reacher was met with criticism from fans of the book series, primarily because the disparity in their heights. Reacher is portrayed as tall and weighing 250 pounds in the novels, while Cruise is . Child replied that "Reacher's size in the books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force". In physique and appearance, Child has compared him to rugby player Lawrence Dallaglio.

Lee Child said that he drew inspiration from his own life as he developed stories for Jack Reacher's accomplices and family.

Fictional biography

Jack Reacher was born on a military base in Berlin, on 29 October 1960. His mother, Josephine Moutier Reacher (née Moutier), was French. Jack speaks some French. His maternal grandfather was at the Battle of Verdun in the First World War and in the French Resistance in the Second World War.Child (2004). ''The Enemy''.

Reacher's father was in the military. Reacher himself enrolled in the United States Military Academy at West Point. Commissioned as an army officer, he was assigned to the military police and, as a major, ultimately led a special unit that was tasked with difficult cases. Reacher won numerous awards during his military service and his commanding officer, Leon Garber, promoted him twice in 18 months.

After leaving the army, he became a drifter. After the September 11 attacks, with restrictions on wire transfers in the light of fraud he was obliged to carry an ATM card and photo ID in the form of a (generally expired) American passport.

Demeanor and personality

Reacher believes that he is genetically predisposed to a vagrant lifestyle in '' Never Go Back''. He says that some populations have a "natural wanderlust" such as the British Empire, the Vikings, and the Polynesians. He recognizes the economic reasons for their voyages but argues that "some of them could not stop" traveling. He believes when prehistoric humans lived in small bands a gene evolved to prevent inbreeding. As a result "every generation and every small band had at least one person who had to wander" leading to "mixing up of gene pools" being "healthier all around."

Skills

Reacher is proficient in hand-to-hand combat. While not a master in any discipline, he tends to incorporate moves from various styles. He also has strong deduction skills and is an exceptional investigator.

Reacher is a skilled marksman and the only non-Marine to win the U.S. Marine Corps 1000-yard Invitational rifle competition.

Habits and beliefs

Reacher has a love for music, especially blues.Child (1997), ''Killing Floor'', p. 522. That affinity inspires Reacher to get off the bus at the start of '' Killing Floor''. He also speaks of it to detectives investigating an early-morning suicide on a near-deserted New York subway near a blues club on Bleecker Street.

He is scathing in his dismissal of traditional religious proselytizing.

In '' A Wanted Man'' Reacher admits that he is a bad driver. He doesn't have a driver's license. In ''Without Fail'' Agent Froelich searches various databases for Reacher, only to discover he is rendered nearly untraceable because, without a driver's license, he has no photograph or address in government records. Reacher admits to indulging in casual sex.

Physical appearance

Reacher is described as being tall, weighing and having a chest. In '' Never Go Back'', he is described as having "a six-pack like a cobbled city street, a chest like a suit of NFL armor, biceps like basketballs, and subcutaneous fat like a Kleenex tissue." In his youth, his physical appearance was likened to that of a "bulked-up greyhound". He also reveals that his size is purely genetic; he says in ''Persuader'' and ''Never Go Back'' that he is not much of an exercise enthusiast.

He has various scars, including some roughly stitched on his abdomen following a bombing in Lebanon.

In other media

Film

The 2012 action thriller film ''Jack Reacher'' was adapted from the ninth novel, 2005's ''One Shot,'' and stars Tom Cruise in the title role. The film was directed by Christopher McQuarrie. Cruise reprised the role in the sequel, '' Jack Reacher: Never Go Back'', an adaptation of the 18th Jack Reacher book, ''Never Go Back'', which was directed by Edward Zwick and released 21 October 2016.

Tom Cruise's casting was met with criticism from fans of the book series, primarily because of the disparity in their heights, with Reacher portrayed as a blond, tall, 250-pound man in the novels, while Cruise is tall and has brown hair. In 2012, Child commented on Cruise's casting, "Reacher's size in the books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force, which Cruise portrays in his own way."

Television

On 14 November 2018, Child announced a deal with Skydance Television and Paramount Television to produce a ''Jack Reacher'' series based on Child's novels and that there would be no more ''Reacher'' films. He also said that Tom Cruise would no longer portray the character and that another actor would be cast in the role, citing the height difference between the fictional character and Cruise remarking that he was going to try and find the perfect guy.

Amazon was chosen to develop the series for Prime Video with Nick Santora as the showrunner. On 4 September 2020, Alan Ritchson was cast to play Reacher. The first season of the series, '' Reacher'' premiered on 4 February 2022 with all episodes released simultaneously. On 7 November 2023, Amazon Prime Video announced that the first three episodes of Season 2 would be released on 15 December with more to follow in January 2024. A third season, based on the 2003 novel ''Persuader'', premiered on February 20, 2025 and concluded on March 27, 2025.

See also

* Jack Reacher (book series)
* Jack (hero)
* Military brat

References

Explanatory notes

Citations

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Further reading
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External links

Lee Child's official website

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Action film characters
Characters in British novels of the 20th century
Characters in British novels of the 21st century
Characters in crime novel series
Fictional American detectives
Fictional spies
Fictional majors
Fictional military personnel
Fictional vigilantes
Fictional Krav Maga practitioners
Fictional aikidoka
Fictional hoboes
Fictional private investigators
Fictional amateur detectives
Literary characters introduced in 1997
Thriller film characters