Prime Video's Reacher Just Dropped Its Biggest Nod Yet To The Tom Cruise Movies

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Reacher season 4, episode 7, "Vote for Sampson. ", he certainly didn't feel nearly as natural in the role as Ritchson, even though he brought plenty to the table.

Unfortunately, he didn't match the role physically, and the overly serious tone of the films pales in comparison to the TV series, which has some genuinely funny moments amidst the brutal action. That said, without Cruise's performance, we might never have gotten another project in this franchise, making him an important part of Reacher coming to be.

Clearly, the TV series recognizes this, as alongside Reacher Season 4's Tom Cruise Easter Egg Explained

While "Vote for Sampson" didn't directly reference a moment from Tom Cruise's Jack Reacher movies, Reacher season 4, episode 7, did include an Easter Egg from one of the actor's most iconic franchises. Although he's been part of many incredible action films, the Mission: Impossible series is perhaps Cruise's most well-known, having lasted almost three decades.

The movies have plenty of iconic elements, but the theme song stands out in particular, being instantly recognizable, and it can be heard during Reacher's latest outing. With Reacher, Tamara, and Jacob worried that a deadly weapon was about to be tested at an outdoor movie event, the trio shows up to try to stop it from happening.

When they arrive, there are no signs of trouble, but the show manages to sneak in Mission: Impossible's famous score into the scene, as the song plays in the background. Rather than do some meta joke about a character knowing another Jack Reacher or including a Tom Cruise cameo, Reacher finds a much cleverer way to pay respect.

This moment doesn't disrupt Don't Expect Prime Video's Reacher To Adapt The Book Stories Cruise Had

While Reacher has finally given a quiet shout out to Tom Cruise, it's highly unlikely we'll ever see the show adapt either story from the movies. Cruise's first Jack Reacher film was based on Chris Child's "One Shot", while the sequel adapted "Never Go Back", two novels that the TV series hasn't touched.

With 30 Jack Reacher books published as of 2026 and a 31st scheduled for October, there is no shortage of stories to choose from, meaning it's hard to imagine the show ever running out of material. As a result, Reacher will presumably stay away from rehashing the same stories seen in the Tom Cruise movies, especially since one has already been referenced.

In season 3, Reacher calls a woman named Susan Turner to call in a favor that she owes him, only to learn she's unavailable due to an undercover mission. This easily missable line may not seem important, but with Susan being a major character in the "Never Go Back" novel and movie, it implies these events already happened in the TV universe.

That's not to say we'll never see Turner appear in a future episode, but it For some, this may be disappointing as the storyline naturally has a lot of potential. However, each new season of the Prime Video hit has proven that it's better to keep these adaptations fresh.

Technically, "One Shot" could still be the basis for a future installment of Reacher, but it seems like the show is going in a different direction from the films, despite these small references to the Tom Cruise projects.

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

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  Jack Reacher

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  Maria Sten

  Frances Neagley

Franchise(s)

Jack Reacher

Creator(s)

Nick Santora