Jack Reacher is the titular character in Lee Child’s aptly titled Reacher series, consisting of 26 (!) books about the said former U.S. Army major. One of those 26 novels was adapted into 2012’s hit film, Jack Reacher, starring none other than the overly-daring stuntman himself, Tom Cruise. But, as Cruise is famously, uh, vertically challenged, many were wondering just how tall Reacher is supposed to be?
In the novels, Reacher stands (literally) at a pretty honorable 6 feet, 5 inches, and described as “extremely tall, extremely broad, long-armed, and long-legged.” Cruise isn’t exactly the first person to come to mind, as he is 5 feet 7 inches, but Child was very pleased with his performance in the 2012 feature film. Some fans were disappointed with the lack of height on their main hero. So, when it came time to cast the Amazon Prime Reacher TV show, the height of the main role was crucial.
That’s why the role ultimately went to Alan Ritchson, known for his portrayal of Aquaman on the much-loved CW superhero series Smallville, alongside Superman. Ritchson is the exact height that author Child imagined Reacher to be. So there you go! Sorry, Tom Cruise.
Ritchson also starred as a teenage mutant ninja turtle in the 2014 live-action reboot, though his height probably wasn’t crucial for his role of a teenage turtle.