Prime Video Officially Launches A New Cinematic Universe Led By Alan Ritchson

The news that Prime Video is turning Alan Ritchson’s hit show into an entire cinematic universe is great news for fans of the franchise, but it still poses a major risk for the streaming service. Prime Video has no shortage of great action shows. From the five-season superhero satire The Boys to the spy series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, the streaming service has a plethora of entries into the genre that are sure to satisfy viewers looking for thrills.

That said, it is not hard to single out the biggest action chiller on Prime Video. Based on a bestselling book series with over 30 titles to its name, this Alan Ritchson vehicle proved a huge hit upon its season 1 premiere in 2022 and has only grown in popularity since. A success with critics and viewers alike, the action thriller has broken various viewership records on Prime Video while simultaneously maintaining a Rotten Tomatoes score of over 90% throughout its three seasons.

Since the finale of The Boys, Ritchson’s Prime Video series Reacher is comfortably the biggest thriller on the streaming service, and it is set to get even bigger in 2026. Reacher’s Neagley spinoff will expand the world of the franchise, adding a second show to the iconic Dad TV hit. While the staggering success of fellow streaming thrillers like the Yellowstone franchise might make this move seem like an obvious win, Neagley comes with complications of its own.

Based on the novel series of the same name by author Lee Child, Reacher follows Ritchson’s eponymous drifter, a hulking military veteran who travels the US, roaming from city to city. Like the A-Team or MacGyver before him, Reacher has a tendency to stumble on corruption and conspiracies wherever he goes, and it would be rude for the show’s protagonist not to take down these criminal enterprises by using the brawn and brains at his disposal.

This straightforward premise may sound formulaic, especially when each new season of the series drops Reacher in a new setting with a new co-star to support him and a new villain to tackle. However, like Justin Hartley’s star vehicle Tracker, Reacher works precisely because of how effective its formula proves. There are few things more satisfying than spending the first half of a season watching Ritchson’s protagonist realize just how lethal a set of villains he is up against, while the final episodes allow the villains to find out just how dangerous the show’s title character is.

Since Neagley was introduced as early as Reacher season 2, the character’s spinoff might not seem like a huge leap for the franchise. However, Neagley represents a big risk for one reason, and this same reason means the show’s success would be a huge deal for Prime Video.

Why Reacher’s Neagley Spinoff Is A Big Risk For The Action Thriller

Unlike the original series, Neagley isn’t based on a specific novel by Child. Instead, the show will tell an original story, with Maria Sten’s title character investigating the suspicious death of an old associate. While Prime Video’s earlier thriller franchise Bosch succeeded precisely because the adaptation diverged from the storyline of its source material, Neagley’s decision to leave behind Child’s books remains a risky one.

Every season of Reacher to date has altered some elements of the Child book that it was based on, but all of them remain fairly faithful adaptations regardless. While Neagley season 1 will feature Ritchson’s Reacher in a supporting role, the show’s decision to tell an original story that isn’t based on a novel by Child could result in a series that feels disconnected from the original show. Thus, only time will tell whether Prime Video’s Reacher franchise expanding beyond Alan Ritchson’s character is a mistake.