Don't get me wrong, I thought Tom Cruise did an awesome job. With that said, it's safe to say he wasn't anyone's first choice. So, who would you have chosen? For me, I would've gone with Dominic Purcell.
http://images.askmen.com/galleries/men/dominic-purcell/pictures/domini c-purcell-picture-1.jpg
"A drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts."
I mentioned this in another thread - visually, younger Dolph Lundgren is just like Reacher in the books: 6'5", lean, muscular, blonde, blue eyes, good looking, but not really... His acting would have been questionable.
Fighting a religious war is like fighting over whose imaginary friend is better.
One possibility is that this series turns out like the many movies based on Tom Clancy books where the character of Jack Ryan ended up being played by several actors. We could end up seeing a few different actors as Reacher.
shareMax Martini is close. A bit short but the rest is ok.
shareBruce Campbell. Perfect mix of good humor and @$$kickingness. Woulda been great.
"I hit the *beep* brain!"
1 David Morse(if he was younger)Too bad the movies werent made a few years ago always pictured him as reacher
2 Neal McDonough-a few inches short i believe he is 6'1' but has the steely blue eyes blonde hair and the build
3 Adam Baldwin-not sure if he could be believable as a lead role
4 Ray Stevenson-has the size and wit
any of these four would be better than TC have nothing against him but the character is defined in all the books by his size and TC isnt convincing as a ex-mp west point grad badass that has crushed skulls with "hands like shovels" also think kevin durand could pull it off
"No regrets, that's my motto. That and everybody Wang Chung tonight."
You see, this list by jrock is totally ridiculous. None, and I mean NONE, of the actors here can fill a movie theater. Really, A young David Morse? No intimidation at all. Neal McDonough because of "steely" blue eyes? I have seen McDonough as the bad guy in the third season of JUSTIFIED. He didn't convince me he could be Reacher. Not by a long shot. Adam Baldwin? Well, I'm glad you said it. No, he's nowhere near convincing. Ray Stevenson ? Well, the problem with Stevenson is he can't carry a film. PUNISHER WAR ZONE more then proved that and that's as close to Reacher as you could get in some ways. Stevenson is a second or third banana and always will be. It ain't a leading man.
Liam Neeson would have been good, but he's too old now and he's got the TAKEN franchise.
But no matter what you say about Tom Cruise, he really made Reacher his own and played the part to perfection. Case in point, I have a heavy duty Reacher fan in Calif. When the casting news came out, he was sending emails about Reacher would be portrayed as a "munchkin" and made endless jokes about the casting. BUT when he finally saw the film, he said he didn't even notice the size difference. Now that's because it's a movie and you are watching the action unfold. In a book, you are constantly being reminded of his size one way or another, but in the film,you just watched the story unfold and Reacher's size made no actual difference to the story itself.
Lee Child, who thinks highly enough of Cruise as Reacher that he actually appears in the film, has often said that Reacher's size was a metaphor for Reacher being unstoppable. Whether you believe that or not makes no difference. It's what the actual creator of the character thinks. And, in all honesty,he says that because he knows Cruise respects the character enough and his star power will make Reacher a very successful film franchise. Cruise is fine as Reacher and I look forward to the sequel now in pre-production.
"Be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove"
At last the voice of sanity. I have been scanning these replies with their various suggestions, rolling my eyes with incredulity. People mainly focus on the physical appearance of Reacher without taking into account acting ability, charisma and ability to intimidate. David Morse being a prime example. Have people heard him speak? How does that high pitch voice intimidate?
As you say Cruise made it his own. I have read all of the Reacher books and yet I still accepted Cruise in the movie. I hope they do another one with him.
I've never read any of the Reacher novels, but if by "Cruise made it his own" you mean it seemed like virtually every other Cruise action movie, then I'd agree with you.
Ok. Then who would you have cast as Reacher?
shareAnyone who wasn't 5'7" and could act.
Honestly, I'm not all that up on Hollywood. I couldn't name you a bunch of 30 - 40 year old actors who could play a role. Although, I think Liev Schreiber's role as Ray Donovan would have been better as Reacher.
People mainly focus on the physical appearance of Reacher without taking into account acting ability, charisma and ability to intimidate.
I'm not saying TC himself is an intimidating man. But he can act intimidating. IMHO.
shareThat has more to do with "movie magic" than anything else. The bad guy - Jai Courtney - is 6'1". Did it ever look like he was 6" taller than Cruise in this movie?
Cruise wears lifts in his shoes plus his shoes usually have heels.
If he were shot how he normally looks, while being in good shape, it would be a joke. They'd have to address it like they do with Jet Li - not underestimating someone because he's so short.
Instead, Cruise wants to be shown as a bad-azz.
My point exactly. He's simply trying too hard. I admire his work ethics but he seems laughable. Now, at 50, he's trying to be Sly, Schwartzy, Willis and, even Jackie Chan in their 30s.
OK, maybe not Chan, that guy is close to 60 and still amazing. 😀
Fighting a religious war is like fighting over whose imaginary friend is better.
I would agree with you except that the reason that people focus on the physical appearance of Reacher (probably more than any other book character) is because it is constantly mentioned (many times each book). About his exact height, and weight and how it influences his fighting style and the way people view him on first appearances. Tom Cruise unarmed would never really intimidate anyone on first sight.
shareNone of these are even remotely close to better than Cruise. Liam Neeson twenty years ago I could buy. Maybe Tom Hardy, but he's nowhere near the box office pull of a Cruise and he's just as short, so people would have been complaining still.
You need a bonafide movie star in a franchise like this. I could see Christian Bale, Russell Crowe maybe. Mark Wahlberg, but he's too dumb. I kind of like Jon Hamm, but he's not a leading man in features yet.
Ray Stevenson...
shareWoody Allen
****"Some folks call it a sling blade I call it a kaiser blade hmm hmm!"****
My ideal choices would have been Alexander Skargaard or Hugh Jackman (with a slight preference for the former, being less famous and with no Wolverine strings attached): right height, right physique, right age. And both much better actors than Cruise (to be honest, a flat tyre is a better actor than Cruise), charismatic, able to project intelligence, depth of character, irony, and a dark edge.
Seth Rogen
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