Prime Video’s Reacher franchise keeps growing, and the next potential spin-off may center on a character viewers haven’t met in the live-action series yet. Lee Child, who created Jack Reacher, has identified a strong candidate to headline their own show, and their newly expanded role in the books makes the idea more viable than ever.
Lee Child says the next Reacher character for spin-off isn’t from Alan Ritchson’s series
Child pointed to Susan Turner, previously played by Cobie Smulders in the 2016 feature film Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, as someone who could carry a series of her own. “I was glad that Andrew brought back Susan Turner. Good character, but also a spin-off opportunity because we’ve already got Neagley, and Amazon tends to want as much as possible if it’s working,” Child told Collider. “And so, do they want another spin-off? In which case, she’ll do.”
Turner’s position in Chain Reaction, the newest Jack Reacher novel, gives the idea real weight. She serves as a general running CSA G-99 Section, an elite military investigative unit that answers directly to the Army’s Chief of Staff. That premise, a commander leading her own independent investigative team, could power a spin-off without needing Reacher to appear every week.
Andrew Child, who took over writing the novels, noted that Turner also fixes a recurring narrative problem. Reacher has no job, home, or fixed destination, so each book needs a believable reason to pull him into a case. “By having somebody from his past reach out to him and ask for his help and bring him into the story, then that is a very good way of getting him on board,” he explained. Her rank also changes their dynamic. “Reacher, with his military background, will defer to the general because there’s also the hierarchy involved. So it’s fun to play with those things,” the writer said.
Nonetheless, nothing is confirmed yet. Neagley, led by Maria Sten, pulled 40 million viewers in 13 days and got a Season 2 renewal on October 1. Reacher Season 5 aims for a September 2027 premiere, with Season 6 already ordered. If a future season adapts a Turner storyline, the character could step into a much bigger franchise role.
