When you have 10 minutes to talk to Alan Ritchson and he’s in the middle of the grueling filming of Reacher Season 4, you have to think fast. The man who has played Jack Reacher since 2022 has rapidly become not only a symbol of cool masculinity, but also the kind of guy you can picture yourself with at a barbecue, grilling and clinking some beers. So, as much as he’s a man of action, in real life, Ritchson isn’t nearly as intimidating as Reacher, which is probably why Dr. Squatch is betting you’ll buy some soap from him.
“This is really the first ad that I’ve done for a company,” Ritchson tells Men’s Journal, talking about the over-the-top “Manlandia” ad campaign he’s just launched for the soaps of Dr. Squatch. “I liked the humor and the tone of what they were doing.”
In the ads, Ritchson inhabits a world called Manlandia, in which “men can be dudes and dudes can be men.” But what does that even mean?
“To me, the world of Manlandia is the spirit of adventure,” Ritchson explains. “And I know it’s hyperbolic and ridiculous and over the top, but it is a reminder that in our spirits, there’s this desire to go on adventures. The idea of toxic masculinity and all that is not at all a part of this conversation. What’s good for you and your adventure and your ride, it’s all great. If you want to launch off on an adventure and bike over the sun, that’s wonderful for you. I’ll be over here with my book and my library full of steaks.”
Related: Alan Ritchson Brings the Muscle to Dr. Squatch’s Wild New “Manlandia” Campaign
Alan Ritchson says Reacher Season 4 is a “gauntlet”
While Ritchson is talking about Manlandia, he has blood on the sides of his face, and that’s because he’s taken a quick break to chat in between massive fight scenes in Reacher Season 4.
“Usually, by the end of the day, it’s a sweet mixture of both fake and real blood,” Ritchson says. “I don’t think I have any real blood today, which is rare.”
Based on the 2009 Lee Child novel Gone Tomorrow, the story of Reacher Season 4 will involve a mystery in New York City, and, as Ritchson promises, more fights than ever before.
Related: ‘Reacher’ Season 4 is Making One Change With a Crucial Character
“It’s a gauntlet. I mean, it’s just a labyrinth of fights,” Ritchson says. “We shot 11 fights in the first four weeks, and we’ve never shot anything close to that pace. Everywhere Reacher turns, he’s got another group on his heels. It’s fun, wild, and nonstop, and we haven’t done anything like it yet.”
The best Reacher season ever?
As a big fan of Lee Child’s books, Ritchson has very high standards for how each season of Reacher turns out. And, because of that, what he says about Reacher Season 4 will make longtime fans very happy.
“If you follow the other seasons, you know that they’ve gotten progressively better, more interesting,” Ritchson says. “Season 3, I think, was especially well received. I thoroughly enjoyed the way we put that together, and the mystery and the reveals. It was true to Reacher, and it was him at his best so far. So, with that in mind, I say this with confidence: We’re somehow upping the stakes quite a bit. This is going to be the best season we’ve had yet. And definitely the bloodiest. “
Reacher streams on Prime Video. The Season 4 release date has not yet been revealed. You can check out the Manlandia Dr. Squatch product here.
Related: How to Read the Jack Reacher Books in the Correct Order (Hint: It’s Not What You Think)
