In season 3, Reacher is no longer the biggest man in the room as the hulky ex-soldier finally meets his match in a taller and heavier opponent. However, star Alan Ritchson says that is a good thing, as he’s not like other actors who want their action characters to be almost super-human.
"We live in an age where there are a lot of actors out there. I'm not gonna name names, but like, there are people who just kind of have to be invincible in their roles. And what kind of fun is that for audiences?," says Ritchson to GamesRadar+. "You know, if [Reacher] is like, too superhuman or indestructible, it's not gonna be that fun to watch. So it's really fun to pair him with somebody that makes you question whether or not he's gonna live."
As we see in the Reacher season 3 trailer, the show has cast someone even bigger than Ritchson if you can believe it. As Reacher starts working for an import business with a dark underbelly, he meets the boss’ bodyguard Paulie played by Olivier Richters, who stands at seven foot two and 350lbs – that's almost a whole foot bigger than Ritchson. Of course, the two butt heads, and Reacher has to take some knocks, but the star says he’s glad he did.
It's no secret that many actors in the action genre like to play characters who are the toughest and seem to always win in fights. So, having Reacher be relatable and on the "same kind of journey" as audiences is very important to the actor. "Life is hard for a lot of us, and we want to see that there's a character on screen who's like, you know, getting, beaten and rolled by life, but at the end of the day, somehow finds a way to prevail," adds the star.
Reacher season 3 drops the six-foot-three wanderer in the New England state of Maine, only to come face to face with a dark figure from his past. Based on author Lee Child’s seventh Jack Reacher book titled ‘Persuader’, the season also welcomes back Maria Sten as Frances Neagley and adds new stars Sonya Cassidy, Brian Tee, Anthony Michael Hall, and Johnny Berchtold.
Reacher season 3 kicks off with a three-episode premiere landing on Prime Video on February 20 – see our Reacher season 3 release schedule to find out when other episodes drop. For more, check out our list of the best shows on Prime Video, or keep up with upcoming shows heading your way in 2025 and beyond.
