I think Lee Child obviously wants to keep his character within a certain age range. It doesn't matter that Tom Cruis is fit and able. He is still 57.

Of course, we of a certain age demographic love to see older and older actors playing active and robust roles.

Trouble with Cruise in the role is that Reacher is supposed to be 6"5" or so. I always see Tom as his natural 5'7".

(edited to correct Reacher's height.)

In the first Jack Ryan movie, Alec Baldwin was a good choice. But the next actor was Harrison Ford. I like Ford, but he was too old to play Jack Ryan, who was defined as younger. I haven’t seen the movies since then.

When I was reading The Martian, I immediately thought of Will Smith for the botanist, but then thought he was a tad old. They wouldn’t sent a 50+ year old man to Mars. Ben Affleck was a good second choice, though he’s only about 5 years younger than Smith. Someone in their late 30s would have been better but I can’t think who, off the top of my head.

I read that the real issue with Cruise is his quite small size....he's rather dainty compared to how the readers pictured Reacher to be. Why Cruise was cast in the role in the first place is a big question.

It will be interesting to see who is going to star in the new series of made for TV movies. It will be one of the muscle laden dudes popular today, I'm sure.

Reacher would be 59, according to his Wiki 'bio', lol.

I am a huge Lee Child/Jack Reacher fan!! In fact, just got finished reading the newest JR novel, Blue Moon. So when I heard they were making some of these books into movies I was delighted.....until I heard that Tom Cruise would take the starring role! Cruise is so far off from how Reacher is described in the books that it initially put me off seeing the movies at all.

While I don't care for Cruise personally, he is a capable actor. But he is no Jack Reacher in terms of physical size or appearance (Reacher: tall, big, blonde. Cruise: short, slight and dark). And since Reacher's physicality is such an integral part of every story line, that is a massive disconnect for me.

The age thing is really incidental to me. Reacher was born in 1960 so that would make him 59 in the latest novel if it keeps true to dates. It's hard to imagine any man approaching 60 with the extreme and highly developed physical capabilities that Reacher portrays but age is not emphasized in the books.....it is a very nebulous association that lends the idea that he is somewhere in his mid to late 40's. So the age issue is much less of a concern for casting that role to me than the actual appearance of whoever they select.

Child has made his concerns about the movie casting (and possible Netflix streaming series) known for a long time. While he liked Cruise and how he performed in the role, he was not happy with the selection. “I really enjoyed working with Cruise,” Child clarified. “He’s a really, really nice guy. We had a lot of fun and he works really hard and he takes it really seriously. On your downtime you do crazy things with him, but ultimately the readers are right: the size of Reacher is really, really important and it’s a big component of who he is.”

“The idea,” he continued, “is that when Reacher walks into a room, you’re all a little bit nervous just for that first minute. And Cruise, for all his talent, didn’t have that physicality.”

I'm not sure who I would like to see in this role.........but it sure isn't Tom Cruise and I am glad he will not be reprising it any longer.

Brad Pitt who is 56, would be close to the age of Preacher, and height wise, would fit more so than Tom Cruise. He really gets in shape for his roles, so I think he could pull still pull it off. Likewise, Chris Hemsworth is a bit young if they want the character to be late 50's, but he's always in amazing shape, and I could also picture him in the role.

I can see Liam Neeson or Liev Schreiber as Reacher. Should definitely not be a 'pretty boy' type.

I loved Pierce Brosnan as Bond. He was my favourite. Then they cast Daniel Craig, and I couldn't see him in that role. Not smooth, debonair, classy enough. Then I saw the movies and he was powerful in that role.

Hmmm maybe he would fit as Reacher. If I recall, Craig doesn't want to do Bond anymore.

Elmer, Titus Welliver is a great Bosch. He also played in Suits, and as an Irish IRA leader in Sons of Anarchy. Seeing him in that role really threw me off.

Take a look at this Wiki entry regarding the character development of Reacher; it's interesting. Towards the end, the article states that Cruise will not be participating in future movies.

Who is Jack Reacher?

I've not seen the movies but have been a big fan of Lee Child/Jack Reacher. Tom Cruise is not my favorite actor. I tend not to see movies based on books I've read. Speaking of Daniel Craig, we're going to see Knives Out this weekend. It's getting great reviews.

If you can overlook the miscasting of Tom Cruise in the lead, the 2 Jack Reacher movies are not bad. But not nearly as good as the books!! There is a lot of subtlety in the books that just doesn't translate well onscreen.

btw, Bruce Willis is 64 and is still playing action roles..........

I want my book characters to resemble them on the screen as well. I adored Alec Guiness as George Smiley but did not like Gary Oldman. He just wasn't "MY" George Smiley.

They have digital technology now that will make actors look younger. It is being routinely used on older actors. I gather it is expensive but what do you do when these guys get old?

I am not familiar with Jack Reacher. I am familiar with the character though. It has always been popular. Paladin (Have Gun Will Travel) is an excellent example if you leave out the luxury hotel and the fee which he often didn't charge. He quoted philosophers and was crack shot.