# 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:** 3
### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/41 "2012-06-03T03:10:07Z")
> [@sitchensis](#):
>
> Tom Cruise is a terrible choice.
The film’s [producer](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000129/) disagrees with you.
---
### Author:  [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/42 "2012-06-03T04:07:30Z")
> [@Loach](#):
>
> 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.
I’m sure you’re right about the first rights (options?) he’s sold thus far. I just think Tom Cruise as the lead will mean a lot more money for him in the long run.
---
### Author:  [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/43 "2012-06-03T15:37:41Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Thanks for belaboring the obvious. The film may be fine (as with the Bourne movies, which I really like), but much is made of Jack Reacher’s size in the books. He’s a very large and intimidating guy. Antagonists think twice about fucking with him. Cruise can act, but intimidating he ain’t. People who have actually read the books are understandably shocked at the choice of him for this role. I suspect they will substitute explosions and car chases, or fake martial arts, for how Reacher usually takes care of business.
Hey, you asked. Besides only some people who have read the books are “shocked”, most probably couldn’t care less.
On a side note, opinions that differ from your don’t equal [belaboring](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belabor).
---
### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/44 "2012-06-03T16:25:30Z")
> [@PlainJain](#):
>
> Hey, you asked. Besides only some people who have read the books are “shocked”, most probably couldn’t care less.
>
> On a side note, opinions that differ from your don’t equal [belaboring](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belabor).
I don’t believe I asked any questions other than a general Internet WTF, but please continue to threadshit.
---
### Author:  [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/45 "2012-06-03T16:44:11Z")
Have I done something to offend you? How is offering my opinion on a topic you started threadshitting?
---
### Author:  [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/46 "2012-06-04T16:03:46Z")
I’ve read every single Reacher book and I always pictured Matthew Fox, who played Jack on Lost, as Reacher. Maybe because Reacher’s first name is also Jack.
🙂
---
### Author:  [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/47 "2012-06-04T16:29:14Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#):
>
> After some more thought: Adam Baldwin.
Oh, great. Now I have to read the damn things all over again because I need to watch this in my mind.
---
### Author:  [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/48 "2012-06-04T16:29:49Z")
I’ve read almost all of them and I remember years ago thinking that Ray Stevenson (Titus Pullo from **Rome** ) would be perfect. That’s just as I imagined him. With an American accent of course.
Echoing what everyone else is saying - while it’s true that he only beats up a few people per book, (or runs them over, or pushes them out of helicopters, or just shoots them in the head), he routinely uses his size to prevent confrontation. I don’t see how they’ll get around that.
---
### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/49 "2012-06-04T17:49:27Z")
> [@mhendo](#):
>
> 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.
We’re used to see Vaughn now in comedies. But he started out as a “heavy” and played murderers in _Psycho_, _Clay Pigeons_, and _Domestic Disturbance_. So he can do menacing.
---
### Author:  [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/50 "2012-06-04T23:57:18Z")
> [@Morbo](#):
>
> I’ve read almost all of them and I remember years ago thinking that Ray Stevenson (Titus Pullo from **Rome** ) would be perfect. That’s just as I imagined him. With an American accent of course.
Good choice. Much better than Tom Cruise.
---
### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/51 "2012-06-05T00:33:48Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#):
>
> I’m sure you’re right about the first rights (options?) he’s sold thus far. I just think Tom Cruise as the lead will mean a lot more money for him in the long run.
Possible. This thread has inspired me to read the books.
---
### Author:  [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/52 "2012-06-05T00:56:14Z")
> [@kbear](#):
>
> DON"T get me started! Grrr, How many times in the books is he described as a big man, well over 6 1/2 feet? What are they going to do…film him on stilts?
A [trench could work](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVc0EZl3AfU#t=5m19s).
---
### Author:  [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/53 "2012-06-05T01:36:48Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> We’re used to see Vaughn now in comedies. But he started out as a “heavy” and played murderers in _Psycho_, _Clay Pigeons_, and _Domestic Disturbance_. So he can do menacing.
He was down right scary in Clay Pigeons.
---
### Author:  [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2012, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/54 "2012-07-04T01:14:10Z")
Trailers are up.
---
### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2012, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/55 "2012-07-04T01:15:33Z")
And it’s worse than I feared.
---
### Author:  [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/56 "2012-07-04T01:34:03Z")
Yeah, after seeing the trailer…this ain’t looking good.
---
### Author:  [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/57 "2012-07-04T02:01:14Z")
At first I was brain farting while reading this thread. I was thinking ‘they are making a Three’s Company movie?’
But seriously, Other than maybe the last MI movie, when was the last blockbuster that Cruise stared in?
---
### Author:  [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2012, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/58 "2012-07-04T02:19:01Z")
Jeez, Tom Cruise’s voice alone annoys me so much I won’t watch any of his movies. Anybody else feel this way?
---
### Author:  [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/59 "2012-07-04T03:06:31Z")
He probably isn’t 50 or has a gajillion-dollar smile either, but Cruise is TC and no one else is :rolleyes:
I think either [Christian Bale](http://www.teresadoesit.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Christian-Bale.jpg), [Ryan Reynolds](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8ypPwRKObLM/Tvo3jjmii4I/AAAAAAAABF8/LhX-xzsZZQs/s1600/ryan-reynolds-magazine-shootout.jpg) or [The Rock](http://www.wrestling-match.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/dwayne-johnson.jpg) would’ve been better choices.
---
### Author:  [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2012, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865/60 "2012-07-04T04:41:57Z")
Ryan Reynolds and The Rock are not big-money stars, sadly.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865.md?page=2)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-cruise-as-jack-reacher-wtf/623865.md?page=4)