Tom Cruise doesn’t get the credit he deserves for being a franchise starter. While most of his early projects are considered classics, they’re almost all one-offs, allowing him to dip his toe into a world one single time before moving on to the next thing. The major exception, of course, is Mission: Impossible. Getting to play Ethan Hunt in the 1996 movie was such a joy for Cruise that he reprised his role seven more times, with the final time coming in 2025 in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. With Hunt turning in his running shoes, it’s only natural that the world is looking for something to fill the void he’s left behind.
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The first place people are looking to get their Cruise fix is Paramount+, which houses another popular sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. A week doesn’t go by without the film dominating the streaming charts, just as it did at the box office in 2022. However, one can only watch the titular pilot and Rooster save the world from a mysterious villain so many times before needing a break. Well, that siesta is turning into another watch party because a different cruise franchise, Jack Reacher, is doing pretty well for itself on two major streaming services.
Standing alongside Maverick on the Paramount+ leaderboard is Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, the 2016 sequel that teams up Lee Child’s character with an Army major, played by Cobie Smulders, in need of an assist. But that’s not the end of it because its predecessor, 2012’s Jack Reacher, is also making a name for itself, appearing in Netflix’s global Top 10.
Neither Jack Reacher nor its sequel was a critical darling upon release. In fact, the franchise had many detractors because Cruise didn’t have the character’s stature from the books. The world is now seeing it in a new light, though, and while Cruise may be the main reason why, there’s another actor who deserves at least a little credit.
Jack Reacher Is More Popular Than Ever
While both Jack Reacher films had solid box-office runs, bringing home well over $100 million each, there wasn’t enough juice to get a third movie made, despite Cruise and frequent collaborator Christopher McQuarrie having ideas. Instead, Prime Video decided to develop a TV show that would bring Child’s stories to a different medium. Alan Ritchson landed the lead role, which thrilled purists, as he was significantly taller than Cruise.
Reacher has dropped three seasons on Prime Video, with the latest one releasing its final episode in May 2025. A fourth season is already in the works, but it may take some time to find its way home, as filming is still underway. Fortunately, Cruise is around to offer Ritchson an assist, as well as boost his own profile, by sneaking two of his more underrated big-screen performances onto Top 10 lists all over the world.
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Image courtesy of Focus Features.
