Reacher Season 4 Makes Us Wish Alan Ritchson Had Joined A Classic Franchise

The following post contains light spoilers for "Reacher" Season 4, Episode 7, "Vote For Sampson."

Alan Ritchson has come a long way since making his debut as Aquaman in "Smallville" and getting a promised spin-off taken away from him. He showcased his comedic chops in "Blue Mountain State," played an underrating Raphael in Jonathan Liebesman's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and brought an entertaining meta perspective to "Fast X." But his greatest role to date is Jack Reacher in the Prime Video series "Reacher." This is Ritchson at his most charismatic yet physically intimidating, playing a character that is both hilarious and scary, strong yet gentle.

"Reacher" Season 4 is delivering some of the greatest moments of the entire series, with more brutal action than ever and elaborate fight choreography that's both impressive to watch and quite gnarly. It's also arguably the funniest season yet, with Reacher even getting a catchphrase of sorts. This season showcases a powerhouse performance from Ritchson, and in the latest episode, we get a brief moment that is easy to miss but is proof that the actor should have been a huge movie star — and that he should have joined the "Mission: Impossible" franchise.

In "Vote For Sampson," Reacher goes to an outdoor concert to stop a terrorist attack, and the orchestra is playing the familiar notes of the "Mission: Impossible" theme. It's a brief nod to one of the most popular and influential spy thriller franchises in history, and a nod to Tom Cruise, who also played Reacher in two movies. But it's also a sad reminder Ritchson hasn't fought Tom Cruise in a movie (... yet).

The "Mission: Impossible" film franchise has given us some of the greatest blockbuster movie moments of the past 30 years. The CIA heist scene from the first movie remains so iconic, we dedicated an entire oral history to it. From Henry Cavill's incredible performance as the arm-reloading John Lark, to Philip Seymour Hoffman's unforgettable Owen Davian, to Rebecca Ferguson's badass Isla Faust, and Jeremy Renner's underrated William Brandt, this is a franchise full of fantastic villains and allies.

Alan Ritchson, whether playing a more straight-man murder machine like Reacher, or a himbo doofus like in "Blue Mountain State," would have fit perfectly into this franchise. He could have played an ally to Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt, a more bulked up bruiser to balance Ethan's agility. Ritchson's charisma and comedic timing could have made magic with Simon Pegg's Benji. The closest we came to a brawler joining the team was Henry Cavill's character in "Mission: Impossible — Fallout," but he turned out to be one of many double-agents in the franchise. If played straight, Ritchson could have been a fascinating addition to the team that brought a different dynamic.

Alternatively, as a villain, Ritchson has the size (he is taller than Cavill), the physical strength, and still also the charisma to make for a formidable villain that Ethan Hunt would have had to outsmart.

There are still questions about whether another "Mission: Impossible" will happen after "The Final Reckoning," so Ritchson joining the Impossible Mission Force will have to live only in our collective dreams until Paramount inevitably decides to breathe new life into the franchise.