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The two-inch obstacle that almost cost Alan Ritchson the role
Alan Ritchson looks every bit the towering, spare, muscle-and-mind figure readers picture when they think of Jack Reacher — so it's surprising to learn he nearly lost the part over something as small as height. On Michael Rosenbaum's Inside of You podcast, Ritchson revealed producers initially passed on him early in casting because he measures 6'3", while Lee Child's novels describe Reacher as 6'5". That slender margin became a surprisingly big deal in the shadow of previous screen versions.
Why height mattered more than you might expect
The Prime Video Reacher series was created with a very explicit corrective in mind after the Tom Cruise films. Cruise's Reacher (at roughly 5'7") triggered a fan uproar: readers were vocal that the character's physicality was crucial to his identity. Lee Child himself acknowledged the disconnect after Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, telling Reader's Digest that readers were right to expect a truer physical match. With that baggage, the show's casting team was determined to avoid another mismatch — which put Ritchson, at two inches shy of the page, in a tight spot.
Casting choices in literary adaptations often hinge on fidelity versus star power. Reacher's case is a useful study: the Cruise movies brought name recognition and box-office muscle, but the Prime Video adaptation swapped that for fan trust and closer adherence to the source. Producers were balancing the risks of alienating readers against the benefits of headline casting, and that explains the hair-splitting over two inches.
From Smallville to streaming stardom
Ritchson's breakthrough wasn't overnight. He'd been working steadily since his 2006 appearance on The CW's Smallville (as Arthur Curry), but for nearly two decades he'd remained a steady character actor rather than a global lead. Everything shifted when Reacher premiered on Prime Video in 2022. Ritchson recounts months of silence before the show aired — then, within 48 hours of the series launch, a flood of offers from major producers and studios transformed his career.
The post-Reacher boom is emblematic of streaming-era dynamics: a well-positioned adaptation on a major platform can retroactively elevate an actor's whole resume. Ritchson parlayed the role into mainstream franchise appearances — he shows up in Fast X as Agent Aimes and stars in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare — while also anchoring the Reacher universe on TV.
Expanding the Reacher universe
Prime Video is already building out the franchise: Season 4 is reportedly based on Lee Child's Gone Tomorrow (book 13), and a Neagley spin-off — focusing on Maria Sten's Frances Neagley, a longtime Reacher ally — is in development. These moves reflect larger industry trends: when adaptations hit, platforms tend to expand with sequels, character-focused spinoffs, and crossovers, turning a single faithful casting choice into a broader IP strategy.
Behind the scenes, fans and critics have been divisive but engaged. Reacher audiences praised the series' grittier, grounded tone and its respect for the novels' physicality and pacing, while critics have debated whether strict fidelity to text is inherently better for drama. Some adaptations thrive by reimagining material (see The Witcher or Sherlock), while others succeed by honoring fan expectations. Reacher sits closer to the latter camp.
Trivia for fans: Ritchson fought for the role, leaning on physical training and a no-nonsense interpretation of Reacher's lone-wolf ethos. Lee Child's willingness to listen to readers after the Cruise films helped tip the scales toward a more literal embodiment, and Prime Video's gamble on a less famous but physically closer actor paid off in audience goodwill.
"Casting debates like this tell us a lot about modern fandom," says fictional cinema historian Marco Jensen. "Readers want their heroes to look and feel right — and streaming gives creators the space to prioritize authenticity over marquee names. Ritchson’s Reacher is a perfect example of trust-building between an adaptation and its audience."
Whether you care about two inches or two hundred scenes, Ritchson's story is a reminder that adaptations live and die on a mix of fidelity, performance, and timing. The actor’s fight for the role reflects larger shifts in how studios respond to fan expectations and how streaming platforms cultivate long-term franchises.
Source: tvline
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