It’s been seven years since Tom Clancy’s legendary character Jack Ryan was last seen on screen, and many thought Ben Affleck’s rendition in The Sum of All Fears put the final nail in a once powerful franchise. But according to producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, a Jack Ryan resurrection is in the works – and it won’t (contrary to Internet fodder) be George Clooney playing the suave government official. Why not? He’s too old.
Di Bonaventura told MTV.com this week that a script has been submitted to Paramount, the studio that owns the franchise, and that it was “well-received,” but the story follows Ryan in his early 30s. Now you may be saying, “Isn’t the younger Ryan what got this franchise in trouble in the first place?” Well, let’s recap.
After building a powerful cloak-and-dagger franchise in the early ’90s off the popular Clancy novels portraying an older Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October (Alec Baldwin), Patriot Games (Harrison Ford), and Clear and Present Danger (Ford again), 2002’s The Sum of All Fears featured Affleck’s Ryan as a wet-behind-the-ears CIA analyst. Though the film did have the highest opening weekend gross for the franchise ($31 mil), with lackluster reviews Fears ended up being its second lowest domestic grossing film (only Patriot Games did worse).
It’s more likely it wasn’t the age of Ryan that dissuaded audiences but that Fears was a victim to the post-9/11 period when audiences didn’t want to see terrorist-related films. We certainly seem to be past that now, however, with the successful relaunch of the Bond franchise and all the Bourne films.
So who would you want to see play an early 30s Jack Ryan? Internet rumors have James Franco and Ryan Gosling in talks. Worthy candidates, but how about someone a little more under the radar…
Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The (500) Days of Summer star (he’ll be 29 next year, but who’s counting) definitely has the looks, but what draws us to him is the intensity he would bring to the character (go watch him in Manic, Mysterious Skin, and Brick). For a franchise that needs a shot in the arm – and an actor they might want to potentially lock down for a sequel – he certainly has the goods.
So, PopWatchers, who do you want to see as the next Jack Ryan? Take our poll and then explain yourself in the comments.
Comments (1-30) of 101 Add your comment
Maybe Wentworth Miller?
jamie bamber would be perfect, but choosing from the list above I’d pick Ryan Gosling. Joseph G-L looks too young and boyish in my opinion. wentworth miller wouldn’t be a bad choice either.
Wow! Jamie Bamber wouldn’t have crossed my mind, but now that you’ve said it, I couldn’t agree more! Good thinking!
I would like Ben Affleck to do the sequels like Harrison Ford. He is tall, very handsome and a talented actor.
How about he directs?! That’d be an interesting plan. A man with a close connection with the character and experience with directing gritty, dialogue heavy, thinking man’s movies. Affleck is a MUCH better director than actor.
I’m down with Wentworth Miller. He can pull off intense. Otherwise maybe Bradley Cooper, Joe Flanigan, or Josh Duhamel.
Someone who I think could be really good would be Christopher Egan who played David on “Kings”.
I know he’s forty but I would like to see Nikolaj Coster Waldau (New Amsterdam) to play Jack Ryan.
Levitt doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who could be tough if needed.
I agree with you on Bradley Cooper, he was reportedly screwed over with the Green Lantern movie so this could be the franchise that finally get’s him only his name read in commercial’s for his film’s without mentioning The Hangover, but also how about Eric Szmanda from CSI:? If they’re looking for someone who can play a greenhorn in a business he is your man, the exposure with the show could help ease producer’s fears about his popularity.
well-
since the character seems to be aging backwards & younger with each film….
how about Benjamin Button!
Uh, you know Baldwin was something like 32 when he played Ryan, Affleck was 30. That’s not a huge difference.
James Caviezel would be my choice. has the acting chops, physical presence.
Good choice. But I’d like to see him on Ture Blood myself.
Since Jack Ryan represents a bloated, irrelevant icon of a politically reactionary age and manner of thinking that I’d like nothing more than to see us evolve beyond, I vote that they get Steven Seagal to play him. That way the next several Clancy movies can be straight-to-video, Mob-financed disasters which will be justly forgotten, exactly as they deserve to be.
I’m gonna take you to the bank, Senator Trent… to the blood bank.
I second that Anne….Wentworth Miller!
Jamie Bamber
JENSEN ACKLES!!!
Ew. No.
Yea Jensen Ackles is hot he was on Days of our Lives. So how about looking at some of the hot males leads on the soaps (my favs General Hospital & OLTL) On General Hospital the actor who plays Lucky. Soap actors are great plus most are gorgeous.
Jenson was on Days of Our Lives. Speaking of Soaps y not look at some of them. My favs General Hospital & OLTL have the most gorgeous guys and they r great actors. How about the actor that plays Lucky on GH. He is absolutely gorgeous plus really good actor.
Jamie Bamber would be great!! Also, Ryan Reynolds would be a fantastic Jack Ryan especially if you have read the books and understand what age he is in the different tales.
Jon Hamm’s only 38… If we’re going way young, Ryan would be the best of the lot up there.
Sam Worthington
If they don’t make 15 more Star Trek movies, I think Chris Pine would work. Some of the others just don’t look like a “Jack Ryan”.
Ooooh, I like this idea….
Wentworth Miller would be perfect… he could play Ryan the way he’s written: intelligent, moral, and humble. That’s a difficult balance for many actors, but Miller has already proven he can pull that off.
The author has no idea why “Sum of All Fears” failed.
First of all the main star was Ben Affleck. Nobody likes him. Period.
Secondly, the movie had to be politically correct by changing the villains from Middle Eastern terrorists, to your typical white neo-nazi aryan.
New people were dissuaded by Ben Affleck. Fans of the book/Jack Ryan were dissuaded by the obnoxious PC-ness of Hollywood.
Ryan Gosling is very talented, so if they want a talented actor they should pick up him. However, I don’t know if I really want to see him in this kind of movies. It depends on the scenario actually. However, there are probably other actors who could play the role (well, it depends on the scenario as well). I don’t know James Franco and J. Gordon-Lewitt very well.
matt damon,ryan reynolds or jack bawer him self keifer sutherland.
The only problem is, most people will only see Keifer as Jack Bauer with any movie dealing with counter-terrorism and/or federal agencies (see: The Sentinel). Seeing as Jack Ryan sounds a little too close to Jack Bauer, it’ll be impossible to separate the two iconic characters as it is (imagine the confusion resulting from all the ‘Jack’ shout outs).
Dominic Purcell, although a little older than early 30’s I think he has the intensity needed for the role.
The thing I liked best about Harrison Ford’s Jack Ryan was that he was heroic and intense but also earnest with a sense of humor. Translation: dorkier than Wentworth Miller and studlier than Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I think Chris Messina or Chris Pratt would be better.
micheal weatherly can have the intensity and heroism and keep a sense of humor. He’s also in good shape to be in his early thirties
as much as i LOVE wentworth miller, i think they would go for someone with a bigger name so…..what about jake gyllenhall? i totally think he could pull it off. and if they want a newer name besides w. miller, how about chris pine??
oh….someone already said chris pine. so i will stick with my gyllenhall idea.
Matthew Morrison, from “Glee.”
Liev Schreiber. I know, I know, he played Willem Defoe’s Clear and Present Danger role in Sum, but he has showed he can act and do action with is recent choices.
Jon Gosselin would be perfect choice to play Jack Ryan
or Robert Pattinson
or Zach Effron.
How about Casey Affleck? He was awesime in Gone, Baby, Gone
YES.
Wentworth Miller would be good.
About the Ben Affleck nail in coffin comment…the movie made 3 times its budget back in gross, so that typically means success. So, again, here goes ew instead of listing facts, paints it with their opinion.
chris pine. as a fan of the books,NOT the movies, pines in if his hair is a bit darker and the trek attitude simmers down. Remember, Ryan was a marine, very mainstream looks and smart.
I agree with deb. Chris Pine is one of the most talented actors right now and he has the good looks to appeal to audiences.
Why dont they make jack ryan a vampire? That is all ew cares about anyway.