Who Plays Jack Reacher & Which Fast Franchise Star Didn't Get The Role?

Ever since Hollywood started making adaptations of the popular detective series of novels penned by Lee Child, a few actors have portrayed the character of Jack Reacher. Not only will people possibly be shocked at the individuals chosen to play the role, but they also might be fascinated to learn that a certain major player from the "Fast and Furious" franchise almost got a chance to play the ex-Military Police Corps investigator.

There is no denying there are a number of differences between the "Jack Reacher" movie and the TV show, with the most noticeable arguably being the people playing the titular role. Reacher's first run outside of the book series was the 2012 feature film "Jack Reacher," which had "Mission: Impossible" star Tom Cruise taking on the titular role, despite not matching the physical characteristics of Child's' character, especially in terms of height and size. He would again play the part in a 2016 sequel, "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back." Instead of a third film, the persona made his way to television, where he would find a new home on Amazon Prime Video in 2022, and Alan Ritchson, an actor that matched the physical attributes more accurately, was tapped to star in the series titled "Reacher."

But before Ritchson took on the role, another giant star was in the running. Dwayne Johnson, known for his work in several "Fast and Furious" films, was interested in starring in the first "Jack Reacher" feature, but it ultimately went to Cruise instead. It's probably safe to assume Johnson isn't a fan of losing, and some people might be curious to know if he still holds a grudge over getting passed over to play Jack Reacher.

It's no secret that Dwayne Johnson's career has seen a fair amount of ups and downs over the years, with not getting to be Jack Reacher looking like a strong candidate for being one of the less than favorable outcomes he has ever experienced. After years of playing roles specifically crafted to match his larger-than-life physical aesthetics, getting passed over for a part that appeared to be a perfect fit for Johnson seems like a devastating affair that would haunt the ex-wrestler. But Johnson realizes why Tom Cruise was chosen over him and appears to have accepted how things played out. "Now, this was over ten years ago, and I was in a much different place, I recognize that," Johnson said during a Q&A with Men's Health. "Tom was obviously the biggest movie star in the world, and I was not." Because he didn't have the same star power back then that he attained after making his presence known in the "Fast and Furious" movies as well as other flicks and franchises, Johnson added that he "wouldn't have had the creative space to do what I wanted with the character."

Johnson may have missed out on the "Jack Reacher" franchise, but not long after, he got the call to join the "Fast & Furious" family as Luke Hobbs in "Fast Five," arguably shifting his career to the next level. Things seem to have worked out well for Johnson, and he doesn't seem to have any hard feelings about getting Cruised over for the character's cinematic debut, at least according to his concluding remarks on the subject: "I look back with gratitude that I did not get Jack Reacher."