# Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher? WTF?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 2, 2012, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865 "2012-06-02T13:38:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/21 "2012-06-02T17:02:29Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Vince Vaughn is 6’5".
Way too soft.
> [@Ethilrist](#):
>
> On-topic, there’s [Ralf Moeller.](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005241/)
Can you even count him as an actor?
If you are looking for a tall actor who can pull off menacing and danger I would say Liev Schreiber. He is listed at 6-3 and he put on a lot of muscle for the Wolverine movie. I think he could pull it off nicely.
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### Author:  [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/22 "2012-06-02T17:02:38Z")
I was going to suggest Jason Statham, but I guess he’s only 5’9". He can do naturally intimidating pretty well though.
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### Author:  [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/23 "2012-06-02T17:04:36Z")
> [@Loach](#):
>
> He could say anything. Or nothing. They already paid him for the rights. Plenty of authors have bad mouthed the adaptations of their works. No reason not to take him at his word. Unless you have information about him being frequently dishonest.
You actually think the author doesn’t want Tom Cruise to play his character? It virtually guarantees him more money.
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### Author:  [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/24 "2012-06-02T17:14:40Z")
Maybe a Gerard Butler or Clive Owen could work better… Reacher didn’t grow up in America, so that could count for the dodgy accent.
Or start with the prequel “the enemy” and get some youngster like Taylor Kitsch or Channing Tatum to play the part.
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### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/25 "2012-06-02T17:51:47Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#):
>
> You actually think the author doesn’t want Tom Cruise to play his character? It virtually guarantees him more money.
No, I was the one who posted the cites of the author stating he was happy to have Tom Cruise in the role. It was someone else who implied the author was afraid to go against the studio.
But whether or not the movie is successful or not it probably won’t effect how much the author makes. Most likely he was paid a flat fee for the rights with no back end. It may effect the cost of right to future movies if there are sequels but there is a good chance the rights were sold long ago.
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### Author:  [@kbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbear)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/26 "2012-06-02T18:38:19Z")
Sean Bean might not have been a bad choice.
People above are right. there’s no rule that says the movie has to be the same as the book but it’s so disappointing when you’ve read every book, as I have with Lee Child or Tom Clancy for example, and you get a picture in your head of who the character is …and then they cast Ben Afleck as Jack Ryan!
I only remember a few times where the casting fit the picture I already had in my head of a character…Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan and Robin Williams as Garp
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### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/27 "2012-06-02T18:41:30Z")
> [@kbear](#):
>
> Sean Bean might not have been a bad choice.
>
> People above are right. there’s no rule that says the movie has to be the same as the book but it’s so disappointing when you’ve read every book, as I have with Lee Child or Tom Clancy for example, and you get a picture in your head of who the character is …and then they cast Ben Afleck as Jack Ryan!
>
> I only remember a few times where the casting fit the picture I already had in my head of a character…Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan and Robin Williams as Garp
To me Alec Baldwin was the perfect Jack Ryan. Ford was too old for the ones he was in.
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### Author:  [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/28 "2012-06-02T18:50:40Z")
On the other hand, I was shocked they cast Ian McKellen as Magneto in the X-Men movies, and ended up enjoying his interpretation of the character most of all.
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### Author:  [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/29 "2012-06-02T19:11:29Z")
> [@Loach](#):
>
> No, I was the one who posted the cites of the author stating he was happy to have Tom Cruise in the role. It was someone else who implied the author was afraid to go against the studio.
>
> But whether or not the movie is successful or not it probably won’t effect how much the author makes. Most likely he was paid a flat fee for the rights with no back end. It may effect the cost of right to future movies if there are sequels but there is a good chance the rights were sold long ago.
He could very well still receive a cut of the movie. Also, it’s going to introduce millions of people to his books.
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### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/30 "2012-06-02T19:48:38Z")
Chris Hemsworth is 6-4 and built. I think he’d be a great choice.
[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/50844345@N08/6678383053/)
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### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/31 "2012-06-02T20:12:01Z")
Movie audiences are normally 10 to 100 times the size of book audiences. The studios don’t care whether they offend the book readers. The book readers aren’t their audience. Besides, they’ll get the money from the book readers anyway.
As a book reader I roll my eyes when movies destroy the thing that makes the book good. But I don’t count. And I shouldn’t count. A movie’s responsibility isn’t to me. A movie is responsible to itself and to make money. Casting against the book sometimes works and sometimes fails. So does casting with the book. You can never tell until after the movie comes out. And the 99% of viewers who haven’t read the book may not agree with you.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/32 "2012-06-02T20:19:23Z")
Some good suggestions here. Well, done is done, of course. I don’t think anybody thought Damon could pull off Bourne, but he kicked serious ass in all three films. Then again, Bourne is a more subtle character than Reacher. I don’t care for Cruise, although he’s made watchable films. He has two facial expressions: frowning and smirking-bordering-on-psychotic-grinning.
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### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/33 "2012-06-02T21:33:37Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy;]
I don’t care for Cruise, although he’s made watchable films. He has two facial expressions: frowning and smirking-bordering-on-psychotic-grinning.
[/QUOTE]
Plus there’s always the obligatory scene in which he’s running really fast.
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/34 "2012-06-02T21:56:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Vince Vaughn is 6’5".
I know nothing about this Reacher character except what i’ve read in this thread, but there’s no way i would find Vince Vaughan convincing as a tough guy. Tom Cruise, despite his size, would be better for this type of role.
What about someone like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? Six feet, five inches; about 260 pounds. I probably haven’t seen enough of his movies to know whether he could pull off the acting part. Does this Reacher character need a very nuanced set of emotions, or can he get by on menace and confidence?
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### Author:  [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/35 "2012-06-02T22:06:36Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#):
>
> Chris Hemsworth is 6-4 and built. I think he’d be a great choice.
>
> [Chris Hemsworth as Kale | Chris Hemsworth as Kale in the 200… | Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/50844345@N08/6678383053/)
He’s too damn cute, and when he smiles it’s all over.
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### Author:  [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/36 "2012-06-03T02:00:21Z")
> [@kbear](#):
>
> Sean Bean might not have been a bad choice.
Impossible. Reacher lives.
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### Author:  [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/37 "2012-06-03T02:06:26Z")
Reacher’s size is mentioned and is important to the plot about as often as Tyrion’s size is mentioned and is important to the plot.
He menaces with his size. He intimidates just by being looked at. Tom Cruise is tiny. There are camera tricks and there can be artistic license with his size. Fine. But I don’t think that he’s going to be able to pull off a good Reacher, even though he can be a very good actor. He has crazy eyes. I don’t know if he can have a steely gaze. So even if TC was 7 ft tall, I don’t think he can pull it off right. Ron Perlman, for example, is a little smaller than Reacher is supposed to be, but he’s close enough and just has the right vibe.
I’m not outraged, but mostly just annoyed.
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### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/38 "2012-06-03T02:21:31Z")
After some more thought: Adam Baldwin.
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### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/39 "2012-06-03T02:37:50Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#):
>
> He could very well still receive a cut of the movie. Also, it’s going to introduce millions of people to his books.
I am by no means an expert but everything I have read about such things makes me believe that back end deals for authors are extremely rare. Producers are reluctant to give points to anyone. I seriously doubt he has a percentage.
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### Author:  [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2012, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/40 "2012-06-03T02:55:18Z")
I always pictured Gerard Butler.
Tom Cruise is a terrible choice.
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