After besting the bad guys once again, our favourite swole savior has exited our screens as Reacher season 4 has come to an end. But not to worry, Reacher season 5 is already on the way and has started filming in Canada. That's right, Alan Ritchson is strutting around a new small town and throwing punches as we speak.
Reacher season 4 saw the ex-soldier face his most violent villains yet in the tense wild goose chase after a mystery hard drive. The fourth outing was packed full of action, one-liners, and even a sneaky Tom Cruise reference. But the fun doesn't stop there. We already know which stars are joining Ritchson next time, and which of Lee Child's Jack Reacher books is being adapted next. If you thought season 4 kicked one of the best Prime Video shows up a notch, stay tuned for season 5.
So what are you waiting for? Scroll on for everything we know about Reacher season 5's confirmed cast list, plot speculation, when we expect the show to hit Prime Video, and more. Then, check out our Reacher season 4 review and keep up to date with other upcoming shows.
Reacher season 5 release date speculation
Reacher season 5 does not yet have an official release date.
Reacher was renewed for a fifth season in May 2026 ahead of Amazon’s upfront presentation, three months before season 4 hit Prime Video. Historically, Reacher seasons have released around 1.5 years apart on average. Season 2 hit Prime Video 22 months after season 1, and season 3 followed just 14 months later, and Reacher season 4 landed around 18 months after season 3. With that in mind, we could expect to see Reacher season 5 as early as December 2027, or early 2028.
However, season 5 has already started filming. Cameras started rolling on July 20 in Ontario, Canada. Star Alan Ritchson has been keeping fans updated since then, posting updates on Instagram. Season 4 started shooting in June 2025, meaning it only took 14 months for the show to land on screen from its filming start date.
Reacher season 5 plot – what book is being adapted?
While Prime Video has yet to release an official synopsis, we do know which of author Lee Child's Jack Reacher books Reacher season 5 will adapt. The series so far has followed Alan Ritchson's bulky hero as he ventures from town to town with just the shirt on his back, taking on bad guys where he can. Reacher season 1 was based on 'Killing Floor,' season 2 adapted 'Bad Luck and Trouble,' season 3 was based on 'Persuader,' and season 4 brought Child's 13th book 'Gone Tomorrow' to life.
At San Diego Comic-Con 2026, the Reacher and Neagley panel confirmed that Reacher season 5 is based on Child's 20th Reacher book titled 'Make Me.' The novel finds Reacher at a remote railroad station in a Midwestern town called Mother’s Rest, hoping to make a quick stopover. However, after expecting to find only miles of wheat fields, he meets a private investigator named Michelle Chang who mistakes him for her missing partner. When Reacher agrees to help Chang, he is pulled into a twisted technological mystery.
Now, this might sound like Reacher's usual stop in a sleepy town, but Make Me boasts global cybercrime. Not only is Mother's Rest home to some of the strangest townsfolk, but the novel dives deep into the dark web, sees Reacher and Chang head to Los Angeles for answers, and totals about 200 deaths. It is important to note that although the series usually stays pretty loyal to its source material, the Prime Video show has been known to shake things up. So we should expect some surprises along the way.
Even though Amazon remains tight-lipped on the finer details, star Alan Ritchson is keeping fans updated on how filming is going. In August 2026, Ritchson posted a video to Instagram from inside his trailer, complaining about the cold and the snow in Canada. This will surely throw the ex-soldier a curveball, as Reacher is used to strutting about in only a T-shirt and jeans. But the weather doesn't seem to be holding the star back, as in another post, Ritchson tells fans that he has to throw himself into the river rapids during one scene.
But it looks like the hero will yet again find himself in a spot of trouble, as in one post, which you can see above, Ritchson looks battered and bruised, with butterfly stitches on his face. When we look closer, we can see that Reacher is wearing a Mother's Rest, ON Volunteer Fire Department T-shirt. This is totally on brand for Reacher, as the series has seen Reacher throw on any piece of clothing he can find, including an 'I Love Maine' graphic tee and a 'Get Cracked in Philadelphia' shirt.
However, the 'ON' on the shirt also confirms that Reacher season 5 is set in Ontario, Canada, rather than in the Midwest (possibly Oklahoma or Kansas) like the book.
Reacher season 4 recap
Reacher season 4 saw the ex-soldier touch down in Philadelphia, where, on a seemingly normal train ride, he encounters a distraught federal employee named Anna Merrick. Assuming she is a suicide bomber due to her clothing and demeanor, Reacher approaches her, but she panics and shoots herself. However, just before doing so, Anna hands Reacher a flash drive that makes him a target for multiple parties. With the local police, the FBI, the CIA, and two Indonesian women known as the Hoths now on his back, Reacher teams up with Anna's brother Jacob Merrick and detective Tamara Green.
As the team attempts to find out what is really on the flash drive and why Anna killed herself, they unravel a years-old military cover-up that leads to a weapon of mass destruction being let loose in Philadelphia. After a few twists and turns, Reacher comes face to face with the season's true villains, who may just be the show's most violent yet. It should come as no surprise that Reacher comes out on top, but not without a few scrapes. You can find a more detailed rundown on those final moments in our Reacher season 4 ending explained guide.
However, as each season of Reacher follows a separate story, we don't think season 5 will include any characters from Philly.
Reacher season 5 cast
Back when Reacher season 5 was announced, Deadline confirmed the four Hollywood stars that will be joining Alan Ritchson as Reacher. This is the End star Jay Baruchel has been cast as Chief Buck Bauer, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes star Kevin Durand will play Nokes, Cross' Amanda Ip is set to play Michelle Chang, and Ciara Bravo, best known for appearing in this year's surprise Netflix hit Voicemails For Isabelle, will play Eunice.
Thanks to season 5 being based on Lee Child's 20th Jack Reacher book, 'Make Me', we already know a little bit about the characters. Chang is an ex-FBI agent turned private investigator who asks Reacher for help looking for her colleague who had been working for a mystery client. Bauer is a local cop in Mother's Rest who sounds a lot like season 4's Jacob Merrick. Funnily enough, Baruchel was supposed to play Merrick in season 4, but after he stepped back from the project, he was replaced by Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette.
It should come as no surprise that Durand is playing a bad guy, as Nokes is this season's physically imposing antagonist, much like season 3's Paulie. However, Bravo's character Eunice does not appear in the book. As for returning cast members, anyone other than Reacher usually doesn't show up again due to each season taking place in a different US state. However, Maria Sten's Francis Neagley has been known to drop in every now and then. But now that she has her own spin-off show, it is not clear if we will see her on Reacher's turf again.
The confirmed cast list includes:
- Alan Ritchson as Reacher
- Jay Baruchel as Chief Buck Bauer
- Kevin Durand as Nokes
- Amanda Ip as Michelle Chang
- Ciara Bravo as Eunice
Is there a Reacher season 5 trailer?
There is no Reacher season 5 trailer just yet, as the season has only just started filming and does not yet have a release date.
However, season 4 started shooting in mid-June 2025, and the first trailer later landed during San Diego Comic-Con 2026 in July 2026. As season 5 started filming in July 2026, this means we could see the Reacher season 5 trailer as soon as August 2027. Or, if Reacher decides to return to SDCC in 2027, Prime Video could release the trailer there.
Is Reacher season 5 the final season?
It is not clear if Reacher season 5 will be the series' final installment. Technically, the show could keep going as long as there are Jack Reacher novels to adapt – and there are 30 books in total. Plus, Lee Child's 31st Reacher novel, 'Chain Reaction,' co-written with his son Andrew Child, is set to hit shelves this October. So, there is no real sell-by date on Reacher, but we all know that TV shows cannot go on forever.
Reacher seasons 1-4 are available to watch on Prime Video now. For more, check out our list of the best action movies.
