The Big Issue Reacher’s Alan Ritchson Has With Modern Action Heroes

There’s a moment in season 3 of “Reacher” where the titular ex-military policeman seems genuinely vulnerable in a way that he hasn’t thus far in Prime Video’s massively popular streaming series. The latest season of the show is based on the best Jack Reacher book, “Persuader,” and sees Alan Ritchson’s hero going undercover at the mansion of businessman Zachary Beck, whose business isn’t exactly on the level. There, he encounters what might be his biggest challenge yet — “biggest” being the operative word.

Paulie, played by 7-foot 2-inch Dutch bodybuilder Olivier Richters, is the bodyguard who mans the front gate at Beck’s mansion, and he’s about as physically intimidating as they come. The hulking henchman somehow makes the already-massive Ritchson look smalland throughout season 3 of “Reacher,” we’re teased with an impending showdown between the two bruisers. But at one point prior to this ultimate clash, Paulie slaps Reacher and sends him to the floor in a moment where the typically-unflappable hero looks genuinely shocked. It’s a remarkable moment in a series that is basically built upon the concept of an almost indestructible hero laying waste to entire hordes of goons, and is one of many elements of the new episodes that makes this season different from its predecessors.

Reacher’s vulnerability might be a welcome change for fans of the series who might be tiring of Ritchson’s ex-Army man dispatching enemies with ease. Then again, it might upset those that tune in for that very reason. Either way, it seems Ritchson himself is glad to see his character struggle for once.

The Jack Reacher books and now the streaming series are both incredibly popular, with the latter breaking a huge Prime Video ratings record in its third season. They both seem to have attained their hit status with a very simple formula revolving around a man who is simply smarter, stronger, and always one step ahead of his enemies. For “Reacher” star Alan Ritchson, however, that isn’t always the most compelling approach.

In an interview with Gamesradarthe actor spoke about his preference for a little vulnerability in his action heroes. “We live in an age where there are a lot of actors out there,” he said. “I’m not gonna name names, but like, there are people who just kind of have to be invincible in their roles. And what kind of fun is that for audiences?”

We all know the type Ritchson is referencing here. The archetype of the invulnerable action hero has been a part of cinematic history for decades, but ever since the 1980s gave us the ultra-macho heroes exemplified by Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, that invulnerability aspect has reached absurd heights. Stallone’s John J. Rambo is, himself, a good proxy for this evolution. Beginning as a tortured Vietnam vet who refuses to kill in his first outing (1982’s “First Blood”), by the end of the ’80s, Rambo had become an almost supernaturally unstoppable machine-gun wielding force, reducing walls of enemies to crimson mists of blood and viscera. It’s mindless action fun, but it can get a little tiresome.

In the modern age, there are actors who reportedly have contracts precluding them from being depicted as weak or ineffective in on-screen fights. This made shooting “Fast and Furious” movies a challenge when three of the stars — Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, and Jason Statham — all had clauses in their contracts that meant they couldn’t lose a fight. But it’s not just contractually-obligated invulnerability that has become a problem in action filmmaking.

Action heroes such as John Wick have continued the legacy of the overpowered action star of the ’80s. While the first movie in Keanu Reeves’ hit series was a delightful B-movie actioner that proved much more popular than its creators expected, as the series went on, it moved past the point of absurdity, with Reeves’ hitman besting every single one of the world’s best assassins sent his way. Sure, the combat scenes and their complex choreography were frequently mind-blowing, but the stakes never seemed all that dire considering the seemingly invincible hero at the center of them all. /Film’s Witney Seibold wrote upon the release of “John Wick: Chapter 4” that action movies can have too much actionbut it’s not just the overabundance of action that’s the problem, it’s the complete lack of any stakes.

In all honesty, “Reacher” often feels just like the John Wick sequels. The prison fight in season 1 is one of the series best fight scenes in “Reacher,” and it’s tons of fun to see Alan Ritchson tossing fellow inmates about like rag dolls. But it’s not really all that engaging on any other level. Reacher’s ultimate showdown with Paulie, however, feels like it will be a much more intense and engaging battle precisely because Olivier Richters’ henchman poses a genuine threat to the hero.

Ritchson went on to tell GamesRadar how having a villain like Paulie in season 3 of “Reacher” helped in that regard. “If (Reacher) is like, too superhuman or indestructible, it’s not gonna be that fun to watch,” he said. “So it’s really fun to pair him with somebody that makes you question whether or not he’s gonna live.” The only question remaining now is, after Reacher inevitably finds a way to dispense of Paulie, what the heck is the show going to do next to keep us all engaged, and apparently keep Ritchson happy?