Summary

Alan Ritchson faced health issues due to overtraining in Reacher season 1, leading to a broken shoulder.
Ritchson underwent testosterone therapy to recover and still maintains his physique with short workouts.
Reacher season 4 is filming, based on Lee Child's Gone Tomorrow, set in NYC, with a spinoff in the works.

It's hard to imagine anyone else playing the main role on Amazon Prime Video's Reacher, and Alan Ritchson once shared a memorable behind-the-scenes story from the first season. After season 1 premiered in February 2022, it was clear that the action series, which is based on Lee Child's book series, would be a huge hit. Seasons 2 and 3 followed in January 2024 and February 2025, and Reacher season 4 will follow the intense tale told in Child's novel Gone Tomorrow.

Fans are eager to hear updates on the story and characters, including Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette replacing Jay Baruchel in a new role in season 4. While not many details are available just yet, Ritchson gave a fascinating interview once and explained what it was like when he shot Reacher season 1, and the way that it affected his health.

Alan Ritchson Has Made These Surprising Comments About Reacher Season 2

Alan Ritchson has made some surprising comments about the action sequences in Reacher season 2, while promoting the third season.

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By Callum Murray

Alan Ritchson Shared His Experience Filming Reacher Season 1 And The Big Shift He Made

Alan_Reacher — Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in 'Reacher' Season 3 Episode 5

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in April 2024, Alan Ritchson shared that filming Reacher season 1 was difficult. He said:

“it almost broke me. I think I was over-training and I broke a bone quite badly in my shoulder. I just knew there was something wrong with it when I couldn’t even get my hand up during one of the fights. I would also get fatigued easily.'

He continued:

“The second we finished filming, I had a doctor’s appointment. After checking out the broken shoulder, we noticed that everything was off, including my testosterone levels.”

Ritchson shared more about this tough experience with GQ. After he gained 30 pounds, which was on purpose, he wasn't breathing as normally as he should, and he needed surgery. He explained that as a result of overtraining, he didn't have testosterone in his body, but after his doctor gave him testosterone therapy, he felt better. He called it "a real gift because now I'm able to easily maintain that size. My workouts are short and sweet – maybe 30 minutes a day."

Since Jack Reacher is a character who can be compared to James Bond and other stars in the genre, Ritchson has to train a lot. He's been open about his exercise routine, along with his approach to health and nutrition. According to Men's Health, the actor practices fight scenes with choreography training and also eats 4,000 calories each day. He noted that playing the role requires a lot of cardio fitness. He also shared in an interview with Men's Health that he lifted weights for two hours every day when working on Reacher season 1. Ritchson even did his own stunt in Reacher season 3, but that didn't work out so well. He clearly loves playing the character and seems passionate about the show in every interview he gives.

Reacher Season 4 Is Filming Now

Reacher_S3Ep6 — Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in 'Reacher' Season 3.

Reacher season 4 is currently filming, and while there is no release date at the time of this writing, fans can look forward to the next part of the action hero's story.

Although Alan Ritchson hoped the season would be inspired by the Lee Child novel Die Trying, season 4 will follow the 13th book, Gone Tomorrow. Since the novel is set in New York City and a photo of the NYC subway was posted on the Reacher Instagram account, fans can guess that the Big Apple is season 4's location.

Fans can also look forward to the Reacher spinoff Neagley, which stars Maria Sten as Frances Neagley, the private investigator who is trying to find out who killed her friend. While it's unclear when the series will arrive on Amazon Prime Video, fans can be certain that the spinoff will feature all the exciting action and memorable moments of the original.

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Release Date: February 3, 2022
Network: Prime Video
Showrunner: Nick Santora
Directors: Omar Madha, Carol Banker, Julian Holmes, Lin Oeding, M.J. Bassett, Norberto Barba, Stephen Surjik, Thomas Vincent
Writers: Cait Duffy
Franchise(s): Jack Reacher