'Reacher' season 3 release date speculation, cast, plot and more
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"Reacher" season 3 is officially bringing back Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher to Prime Video.
Season 2 was a hit again for Amazon, so it was no surprise that the company was quick to greenlight more episodes. But it was a bit of a surprise that it renewed the show as quickly as it did, because "Reacher" was officially renewed for season 3 two weeks before season 2 dropped on Prime Video. It was a bet that paid off though, as fans and critics alike praised season 2 upon its release.
It's also been reported that a "Reacher" spinoff is in the works at Amazon. That's right, not only are we getting season 3 very soon, but we're also getting a spinoff focused on Frances Neagley (Maria Sten). She's one of the most intriguing characters from both the books and the show.
So now that we know "Reacher" season 3 is confirmed and probably almost finished, here's everything you need to know, from release date speculation, cast, plot, and more.
'Reacher' season 3 release date speculation
"Reacher" season 3 doesn't have a release date yet. However, we can make an educated guess as to when to expect more episodes.
Season 1 was filmed between April 15 and July 30, 2021, and then debuted on Prime Video on February 4, 2022. That means filming took about three-and-a-half months and post-production was an additional six months. Given that production has already begun, October 2024 is the earliest we can expect "Reacher" season 3 to arrive on our TV screens.
However, I think that there is a chance that Prime Video will hold off until December 2024. That would have it on an annual schedule (season 2 released in December 2023), which networks and studios tend to like for their serialized TV shows. Given that the December release window worked for Prime Video in season 2, I expect Amazon to premiere season 3 in December 2024.
Still, if this latest update from Jack Reacher himself is accurate, those estimates could be too conservative. In an interview on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Alan Ritchson, who plays the titular Reacher, says that filming is almost done for season 3 (h/t CBR). Given that production has been ongoing for a mere three months at most, that's impressive if true.
Another recent update (as of April 23) proves that filming is still underway, with photos from @neilmorton on Twitter (X) revealing that Alan Ritchson was filming a few scenes in Millbrook, Ontario. The images themselves don't reveal much about the story but they do suggest that "Reacher" season 3 is still in production, so we might have to wait longer for a confirmed release date.
UPDATE (July 2): It seems as though "Reacher" season 3 has finished filming, as Ritchson recently posted on Instagram about his preparation for an upcoming role in "Motor City". In the post, he states: "How do you completely transform when you only have a few days to transition from Reacher to your next role in period action piece extraordinaire, #MotorCity? You bring out the big guns." This could be a big hint that "Reacher" season 3 has finally wrapped up, with Ritchson moving onto his next project.
UPDATE (July 29): TVLine has teased a potential release date for "Reacher" season 3, although this hasn't been confirmed. The report states: "Prime Video has yet to announce a date, but at the moment I am hearing early 2025.” Again, Prime Video hasn't offered official confirmation on this, so it's possible we'll still get season 3 in late 2024.
UPDATE (August 19): As announced by Variety on August 13, Paramount has decided to shut down its television studio, Paramount Television Studios (PTVS). This is due to a larger corporate restructuring effort. Fans have been left wondering what this means for "Reacher" season 3, but don't worry, because any upcoming and ongoing shows will fall under the CBS Studios umbrella. It's possible that season 3 will be slightly delayed, and if not, future seasons most likely will be during the company's restructuring.
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'Reacher' season 3 cast
Currently, four cast members have been officially confirmed for season 3. Ritchson will, of course, return as the titular Jack Reacher. He'll once again be joined by Maria Sten as Frances Neagley, one of Reacher's former military comrades. This makes sense considering she's reportedly getting her own spinoff, according to Variety, meaning she needs to be present in the current timeline.
But aside from those two, don't expect familiar faces. Season 2 didn't carry over many cast members from season 1 — in fact, it only carried over Ritchson and Sten, aside from a guest appearance by Malcolm Goodwin as Margrave PD Police Captain Oscar Finlay.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Nick Santora says to expect the same for season 3. "The DNA of Reacher is that he moves about on his own and teams up with good people when there’s bad lurking about, and then he says goodbye to those people and goes on his way."
We do know two of the new faces joining the show for season 3. Anthony Michael Hall will play Zachary Beck, who runs a rug import business and could shape up to be the major antagonist this season. Sonya Cassidy is also confirmed to appear as tough but witty DEA agent Susan Duffy, who will presumably team up with Reacher at some point in the season.
Since that announcement, Amazon has also announced four other new cast members. Brian Tee will play Quinn, a possible antagonist alongside Hall's Beck. Speaking of Beck, Johnny Berchtold will play his son Richard. Meanwhile, Roberto Montesinos and Daniel David Stewart will play DEA agents Guillermo Villanueva and Steven Elliot, who will be working alongside Duffy and Reacher.
On May 22 it was announced that Olivier Ritchters has taken the role of Paulie, a bodybuilder who is even bigger than Reacher. Paul "Paulie" Masserella is the bodyguard of Zachary Beck, and he's incredibly tough to win against in a fight. This means Reacher has some serious competition in season 3.
As new casting announcements are made, we'll update this section accordingly. Here is the current cast for "Reacher" season 3:
Alan Richtson as Jack Reacher, a former U.S. Army Military Police Major who drifts across the U.S. fighting bad guys.
Maria Sten as Frances Neagley, a corporate security professional who served with Reacher in the Army.
Anthony Michael Hall as Zachary Beck, a widower single father who is suspected of using his rug import company as a cover for illicit activities.
Sonya Cassidy as Susan Duffy, a tough Boston DEA agent with a sharp sense of humor.
Brian Tee as Quinn, a former Lt. Colonel whom Reacher investigated ten years ago when he sold military secrets to hostile nations.
Johnny Berchtold as Richard Beck, the college-aged son of Zachary Beck who is mutilated from a traumatic kidnapping five years ago.
Roberto Montesinos as Guillermo Villanueva, a DEA agent on the verge of retirement who is also a mentor and father figure for Agent Duffy.
Daniel David Stewart as Steven Elliot, a rookie DEA agent who’s still learning the job.
Olivier Ritchters as Paulie, a bodybuilder and one of the bodyguards of Zachary Beck.
How to watch 'Reacher' seasons 1-2
Viewers around the world can watch "Reacher" seasons 1-2 on Prime Video. All 16 episodes (eight per season) are currently available to watch on the popular streaming service.
'Reacher' season 3 plot
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Alan Ritchson already announced that season 3 will be based on "Persuader," the seventh book in Lee Child's "Reacher" series. I won't go into spoilers here, but if you want to know absolutely nothing about the next season of "Reacher," turn around now.
Okay, so there are just two things you need to know about "Persuader" and how it will tie into season 3. First, is the synopsis of the plot, which according to The Hollywood Reporter's interview with Santora, is: "Reacher will go undercover to rescue an informant held by a haunting foe from his past."
The second thing is that while Sten is returning as Neagley for a third season, Neagley doesn't actually appear in the source material. So that makes her character a bit of a wild card for season 3 because the showrunners will need to go off-book.
Here is a synopsis of the book for more insight: "Ten years ago, a key investigation went sour and someone got away with murder. Now a chance encounter brings it all back. Now Reacher sees his one last shot. Some would call it vengeance. Some would call it redemption. Reacher would call it ... justice."
