When compared to the actor’s incredible filmography of action work, “Jack Reacher” (and its sequel) aren’t the most fondly remembered films that starred Tom Cruise. Sure, the films have their defenders and are solid examples of modern action films, but they never found the devoted following like “Mission: Impossible” has over the last two decades. And according to the author of the “Jack Reacher” novels, Lee Child, this is for the best.
Speaking to The Sunday Times (via IndieWire), Child was interviewed and asked about what Tom Cruise felt when it was announced that the “Jack Reacher” film franchise was coming to an end. (The series is getting a streaming series reboot.) The author compliments Cruise’s ability to do action films, but he feels that the actor’s age is a hindrance and it’s best if the A-lister sticks to safer roles.
READ MORE: Amazon Is Developing A New Streaming Series Based On The ‘Jack Reacher’ Novels
“Cruise was reluctant,” Child said. “He had his own investment in it, he was going to argue against it.”
He continued, “It sounds extremely patronizing but I think it’s good for him. He’s too old for this stuff. He’s 57, he needs to move on, transition to being a character actor. He could get another 20 years out of it. He has the talent. He’s a terrific guy, very considerate, good fun.”
Well, thankfully for Cruise, Child has no power over the actor’s career. Because if the news that Christopher McQuarrie and Cruise are teaming up for two back-to-back “Mission: Impossible” sequels is any indication, the action star isn’t stopping anytime soon. If anything, Cruise continues to outdo himself, especially with all his stunt work, more and more as the ‘Impossible’ series goes on.
One thing is for sure, Cruise isn’t returning to the “Jack Reacher” franchise. Instead, Amazon has recently secured the rights to develop a streaming TV series based on Child’s novels, similar to how the studio recently rebooted “Jack Ryan” and started fresh. We’ll have to see how much younger the producers go for the Reacher role in the new series. It’s a solid bet that they’ll find someone under the age of 57.