Alan Ritchson Says ‘Reacher’ Axed Plans to Adapt Novel About Fighting White Supremacists When ‘Someone Got Re-Elected’

Alan Ritchson, the star of Prime Video's action series "Reacher," revealed on Threads that the show had initially planned to adapt a Jack Reacher novel focused on the character's mission to combat a white supremacist militia. However, the actor stated that the plans were scrapped "when someone got re-elected." The fan who prompted Ritchson's response noted their disappointment upon learning that the upcoming season would not feature the story of Reacher's confrontation with the extremist group.

Ritchson's post garnered over 73,000 likes on the social media platform. The original novel, "Die Trying," by Lee Child, was published in 1998 and revolves around Reacher infiltrating, escaping, and dismantling an extremist mountain militia with plans to secede from the United States and create a white-only state. Prime Video's representative did not provide immediate comment on Ritchson's claim.

Although Ritchson did not specify which elected official led to the series' changed direction, he is a known critic of President Trump. In a July appearance on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, the actor called for Trump to go to jail for his handling of unreleased Epstein files. The actor did not specify which season was affected by the change, but the most recent Season 4, which concluded its finale on Wednesday, appears to be the only current season that could fit this narrative. Season 3 was released in February 2025, only one month after Trump's second inauguration.