In the last couple of decades,Tom Cruisehas cemented himself as one of the most prolific and prestigious action movie leads, with major success in theMission: Impossiblefranchise, aTop Gunsequel that became a global sensation, and a few beloved one-offs likeMinority ReportandEdge of Tomorrow.But he does have one franchise which seems to have been left behind:Jack Reacher.
The movie was followed by a sequel, this time reuniting Cruise withThe Last SamuraidirectorEdward Zwick.Jack Reacher: Never Go Backwas a step-down critically and commercially, a disappointing result after a four-year wait. The sequel was released in 2017, and talks of a third movie gradually quieted down as the years went on and as Cruise focused his efforts on other projects, including action franchises that were better fit for his star persona and high-flying aspirations. When Prime Video debuted theReacherseries, starringAlan Ritchsonin the titular role, hopes of Cruise continuing the film franchise dwindled even further. Most fans and critics agree that Ritchson’sReacheris a more faithful, successful adaptation anyway. But what happened to Cruise’s franchise?
Jack Reacher
A homicide investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper responsible for a mass shooting.
‘Jack Reacher’ Solidified the Partnership Between Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise
McQuarrie and Cruise have been creatively inseparable since they first worked together onValkyrie.McQuarrie was pivotal in retoolingMission: Impossible - Ghost Protocolinto the major success that it was, and has gone on to bring that franchise to unbelievable heights (literally) while also writing and producing nearly everything Cruise has done since 2008.
But the first movie McQuarrie actually directed for Cruise wasJack Reacher. This first installment follows Reacher being pulled into the criminal investigation and defense of a military sniper who may have perpetrated a mass shooting, eventually finding a much larger conspiracy at play.McQuarrie did not stay on as director for the sequel, but he still maintained a production credit on the film. The McQuarrie-Cruise partnership found Cruise in a period of success unlike anything he’d seen before in terms of box-office draw and pure star power.Mission: Impossible - FalloutandTop Gun: Maverickwere both record-breaking successes for him at the time, and both films had significant involvement from McQuarrie.
Jack Reacherwas not the origin of their partnership, as they did work together on projects prior to these movies, but it was the first time that McQuarrie really proved that he had the vision and filmmaking talent to manage Cruise’s stardom and bring out the best in him.
‘Jack Reacher’ Distinguished Itself From Tom Cruise’s Other Action Roles
The Jack Reacher movies are not often a central point of reference for what Cruise can do as an action hero, but they do offer a different version of Cruise.It would be easy for this team to essentially re-skinMission: Impossible’s Ethan Hunt characterinto a different worldand put little effort into distinguishing the character of Reacher. This is not the route they take, as these films are tonally and stylistically different, and Cruise does put in the work to make sure that Reacher doesn’t feel like a carbon copy of Ethan Hunt, Maverick, or any of his other iconic roles.
TheJack Reacherseries offered Cruise a chance to play a little darker, as these films do not maintain the playful tone of theMission: Impossiblefranchise. Reacher is a more world-weary, dejected character. The films feel more violent, with the combat being depicted in a fashion which is more brutal than Cruise’s typical register.
I Don’t Think You Understand How Big Jack Reacher Actually Is
Lee Child’s books are a reminder that the bad guys are dealing with an absolute unit.
The tonal difference, and the reliance on more low-stakes and grounded action compared to the massive setpieces Cruise usually dazzles with, stand to makeJack Reacherworth watching, and the story, at least for the first film, is quite gripping. The villain, for example, was portrayed in a brilliantly wicked performance by legendary filmmakerWerner Herzog. You also get a great performance fromRosamund Pikeas a defense attorney who is unwittingly roped into the plot. With a crew of talented actors working under the guidance of McQuarrie, a gifted action filmmaker, it is hard to go wrong with the firstJack Reacherfilm.
Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher Movies Didn’t Leave a Lasting Impression
Jack Reacherwas positively reviewed, andgrossed $218 million on a $60 million budget. The film made enough of an impression to garner a sequel to begin with, but at a similar budget,Jack Reacher: Never Go Back’s box office intake came in around$160 million. Between the two movies, the series grossed nearly $400 million, and yet neither of these movies tend to come up in the mix of Cruise’s most iconic, entertaining, or memorable characters.
Although Cruise does put in the work to make Reacher feel distinctive from Maverick, Ethan Hunt, and any other action heroes he’s played throughout his career, the stylistic similarities between Reacher and many other action films, both with or without Cruise, might have kept these movies from standing out in a big way. There are not as many of the large-scale stunts which Cruise has become known for doing in the Mission: Impossible movies. The action is more contained and grounded, which might not be a selling point in an era where hyper-stylized movies likeJohn Wickand its sequelshave become the prevailing trend in Hollywood action.
The first movie was a hit and the second was a moderate success, but Cruise’s Jack Reacher seemed to fall by the wayside as both he, McQuarrie, fans, and critics seemed to care more about the Mission: Impossible sequels. Prioritizing that franchise seems to have worked out for the best, as Jack Reacher is growing into a strong franchise in a different medium.
What Happened After ‘Jack Reacher: Never Go Back?’
Despite the first movie going over relatively well, it was not received as warmly by longtime fans of the book series. Some fans took issue with Cruise feeling miscast for the 6'5"tank of a man that Reacher was consistently written as. Child spoke of this around the release of the first film,explaining that"Reacher’s size in the books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force, which Cruise portrays in his own way." This speaks to the strength of Cruise’s action movie prowess, his ability to sell you on the notion that he really can do anything, but for some fans, it still wasn’t enough.
The first film was based on the ninth Reacher novel,One Shot, which was published in 2005. The two follow a similar story, withJack Reacherremaining relatively faithful to the overall plot of the book. However,Jack Reacher: Never Go Backadapted the 18th Reacher novel,Never Go Back, which was published in 2013.Jack Reacher: Never Go Backmaintains many of the same overarching plot beats as the book, but deviates in that Child’s novel is a direct follow-up to a different story in the series that was never touched on in the film adaptations. Overall, the movies are narratively tied to their source material, butCruise’s differing characterization of Reacher is a hurdle that many fans were never able to overcome.
Child did eventually relent, agreeing that Reacher should be played by a larger framed actor, and their wishes were fulfilled when Ritchson stepped into the role for the Prime Video series,Reacher. The series adaptation has been a hit with fans and critics, anda third season is currently in the works. The success of the Ritchson-led series, which McQuarrie is an executive producer on, seems to have filled in the gaps that fans and critics noted in the film adaptation. When the second film was relatively much less successful, these issues were harder to look past for many Reacher fans. The television series fulfilled what the fan base wanted out of that story adapted to the screen, andJack Reacher: Never Go Backremains one of the few unfortunate misfires in Cruise’s impressive action resume.
Will There Be a Third Jack Reacher Movie With Tom Cruise?
WhileMcQuarrie spoke about what continuing the franchise with Cruisecould look like,it seems to have landed fairly low on their list of priorities. This is not surprising considering McQuarrie and Cruise are in the midst of what may be the final stretch of the Mission: Impossible franchise while also juggling how they might move forward with Maverick after the massive global sensation that was theTop Gunsequel.
Recently, it was announced thathe will star in the upcomingAlejandro G. Iñárritufilm, his first non-franchise role in years. He has also been circling a mysterious project withDoug Limanthat may take him to outer space, and in addition to that,Edge of Tomorrowsequel talks are always happening. Taking all of this into consideration, Cruise may have a busy schedule these next few years, and with the lukewarm response to his outing as Reacher, it feels less likely that he’d return to this character for a third film. So the Cruise-era Reacher fans may have to settle for nothing more than a double feature, but at leastthere will be no shortage of Tom Cruise or Jack Reacher gracing our screens in the next few years, just not as one entity.
