After Sherlock's 2026 Return, Reacher Is Quietly Becoming The Superior Hero

Published Aug 16, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns. Before Screen Rant, he was a Senior Writer for The Cinemaholic, covering everything from anime to television, from reality TV to movies. After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Sherlock returned to the small screen with Prime Video's Young Sherlock series. Like many previous takes on the detective character, even the Prime Video series was received quite well and even renewed for another season. However, a closer look at the latest installment of another iconic detective series, Reacher, reveals how its character is shaping up to be as fascinating as Sherlock. 2010's Sherlock series, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular detective, primarily focuses on the character's genius deductive abilities. It glosses over his established physical prowess from the books, instead portraying him as someone whose greatest weapon is his mind. Prime Video Reacher, in contrast, leaned heavily on its titular character's imposing physicality. In season 4, however, Reacher is seemingly changing its approach and exploring a more cerebral side of its titular character. While Reacher still uses his brawn to neutralize threats, he seemingly balances it by making several brainy discoveries surrounding the overarching mystery. Reacher season 4 even drops a direct reference to how similar he is to Sherlock Holmes. Prime Video’s Reacher Touts Alan Ritchson’s Character As “Sherlock Has-No-Homes” Reacher season 4's episode 1 begins with a gritty sequence in which the Alan Ritchson character watches a woman die on a subway train. Moments later, two NYPD detectives question him, trying to figure out if he had anything to do with the incident. When they ask him where he lives, Reacher reveals he does not have a home. One of the detectives eventually grows tired of Reacher's coldly snark answers and impressive observation skills. This is when he mocks him by calling him "Sherlock Has-No-Homes." The funny Sherlock "Holmless" title actually makes a lot of sense because Jack Reacher is more or less a hobo version of Sherlock. The original literary version of Sherlock is also incredibly strong and has a background in boxing and other martial arts. He is not a 6 foot 5 inch giant like Reacher, but he is capable of holding on his own in physical confrontation. Many other parallels exist between Jack Reacher and Sherlock, and there is a reason why the two characters seem very similar. Sherlock Holmes Was The Key Inspiration Behind Lee Child’s Jack Reacher Series Credit: BBC via MovieStillsDB As the author of the Jack Reacher books, Lee Child, has himself revealed, Sherlock Holmes has always been a key inspiration for Reacher. Reacher is often compared with other action-centric heroes like James Bond and Jason Bourne. However, as Lee Child explained, his first book, Killing Floor, even featured a direct homage to Sherlock, where Reacher displays similar deductive skills when he tells says to Finlay, "I see that you’re divorced, and you gave up smoking in April.’" Intereatingly, Prime Video's Reacher also seems to draw from Sherlock's lore. Just like Sherlock and Reacher duke it out at the Moriarty at Reichenbach in “The Final Problem," Jack Reacher and Paulie fight at Zachary Beck's coastal mansion complex in Maine. Like Sherlock, Reacher finally finds a worthy opponent who can potentially kill him. Both fight sequences are perfect displays of intellect versus malice, where Reacher and Sherlock use their brain and brawn to ultimately kill their opponents. Reacher Season 4 Feels As Cerebral As Sherlock Image via MovieStillsDB In just three episodes, Reacher season 4 has already featured some incredible action sequences. There is one where Jack Reacher even uses a chopstick to kill a man. However, even when it comes to displaying his intellect, season 4 has been equally impressive. In the opening sequence itself, Reacher seems to run a mental checklist when he suspects a woman of being a suicide bomber. He even cleverly pieces together everything from timeline discrepancies to subtle behavioral clues before deducing John Sampson's true motives and potential connections with the central crime. He even reverse engineers the opening crime scene in the latter scene, which helps him recognize a man who was present on the train. With Reacher season 4 putting the Alan Ritchson character's intelligence on full display, the new installment already looks quite promising. Young Sherlock on Prime Video was a great addition to the overarching Sherlock franchise, but Reacher is already proving to be its perfect rival with its newfound focus. Reacher 8/10 Release Date February 3, 2022 Network Prime Video Without a phone and traveling light, former military police officer Jack Reacher drifts between American towns, embroiling himself in local crimes and bringing justice in his wake. Based on the series of novels by Lee Child, Reacher's journey offers him an intimate understanding on the nation he once served. Cast Alan Ritchson, Maria Sten, Malcolm Goodwin, Willa Fitzgerald, Serinda Swan, Chris Webster, Shaun Sipos, Bruce McGill, Ferdinand Kingsley, Robert Patrick, JD Smith, Kelsey Falconer, Lee Villeneuve, Eli Ham, Emeka Agada, Hazel Gorin, Nathaniel McParland, Connor Laidman, Darrin Maharaj, Drew Moss, Peter Skagen, Rohan Mead, Kaz Morgan, Zachary Gallegos, Scott Barker Showrunner Nick Santora Directors Omar Madha, Carol Banker, Julian Holmes, Lin Oeding, M.J. Bassett, Norberto Barba, Stephen Surjik, Thomas Vincent Writers Cait Duffy Franchise(s) Jack Reacher Creator(s) Nick Santora Producers Derek Rappaport, Aadrita Mukerji, Penny Cox, Agatha Warren Seasons 4 Story By nick santora Streaming Service(s) Prime Video Sherlock 7/10 Release Date 2010 - 2017-00-00 Network BBC One This adaptation Sherlock and Watson as they establish their partnership and begin solving strange mysteries throughout the U.K. and beyond. Set in a more 2010's modern setting, Sherlock's eccentric and complex nature is accentuated as he solves seemingly supernatural crimes with unparalleled intellect while struggling to connect with others on a human level. Meanwhile, Watson blogs the stories summarizing their cases while building a strained but caring friendship with his new partner. Cast Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Amanda Abbington, Sian Brooke, Una Stubbs, Rupert Graves, Louise Brealey, Mark Gatiss, Andrew Scott, Jonathan Aris, Vinette Robinson, Lara Pulver, Tanya Moodie, Deborah Moore, Lynn Farleigh, John Sessions, Zoe Telford, Di Botcher, Doug Allen, Haydn Gwynne, Lars Mikkelsen, Sharon Rooney, Amelia Bullmore, Russell Tovey, Clive Mantle Showrunner Steven Moffat Directors Paul McGuigan, Nick Hurran, Euros Lyn, Jeremy Lovering, Rachel Talalay, Colm McCarthy, Toby Haynes Writers Steve Thompson Franchise(s) Sherlock Holmes Creator(s) Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat Producers Beryl Vertue, Mark Gatiss, Rebecca Eaton, Steven Moffat, Sue Vertue, Bethan Jones Seasons 4 Story By Steven Moffat Streaming Service(s) Dis, Netflix