Could An R-Rated Jack Reacher Sequel With Tom Cruise Still Happen?

 Tom Cruise played the nomadic avenger in two successful movies, but is a planned R-rated Jack Reacher 3 still a possibility for the actor?

A possible R-rated Jack Reacher 3 was once teased by director Christopher McQuarrie, but will it ever happen? Given how popular the Jack Reacher novels by author Lee Childs have proven since the late '90s, it's surprising it took so long for the character to reach the big screen. A major issue was the fact that Reacher is described as a 6 foot 5 in hulk - a description that fit few movie stars in the 2000s. Had the books been adapted in the '80s, no doubt the role would have gone to actors like Sylvester Stallone or Dolph Lundgren, but that casting pool was literally smaller when the Reacher novels became bestsellers.

A Jack Reacher movie finally reached cinemas in 2012, with Tom Cruise stepping into the role. While Dwayne Johnson auditioned for it and was a better fit based on the description of the character, his stardom wasn't in the same place during this period. Needless to say, Cruise didn't match anybody's image of Reacher from the books, and his casting is still somewhat controversial among readers. That said, the star still gave a committed turn, with the story adapting the novel One Shot.

Jack Reacher was produced for a modest budget and proved to be a solid - if not exactly blockbusting - success. Its critical reception appears to have grown warmer in recent years too, with the movie considered an underrated thriller. Cruise - who has made over 70 movies - later suited up for Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, adapting the Childs' book of the same name. The critical and financial reception to this outing was (deservedly) much more tepid, with the sequel considered a flat thriller. The franchise has since rebooted itself with Amazon's well-received Reacher TV show, starring Alan Ritchson. That said, in 2020, Jack Reacher helmer Christopher McQuarrie - who skipped Never Go Back - stated during an interview he and Cruise were still developing another sequel that could even be R-rated.