Jack Reacher has long been the poster boy for Prime Video's action lineup, but it turns out audiences are just as happy to watch someone else throw a punch. The first spinoff, Neagley, has already made a massive splash, drawing 40 million viewers worldwide in its first 13 days, according to Prime Video. That's a clear signal that the world Lee Child built in his bestselling novels has plenty of room to grow.
The series follows Maria Sten's Frances Neagley, the former military investigator known for her love of Coco Pops and her no-nonsense approach to justice. In the spinoff, she investigates the suspicious death of a close friend from her past, using the skills she honed alongside Reacher in the Army's 110th Special Investigations Unit. While she shares Reacher's drive to see wrongs righted, Neagley has her own style—and she's more than capable of handling herself without her old commanding officer.
Given the show's instant success, Amazon has already renewed Neagley for a second season. But the franchise might not stop there. In an exclusive chat with Collider, Lee Child revealed that another character could be next in line for the spinoff treatment: Susan Turner.
Susan Turner: The Next Spinoff Star?
Turner, who was played by Cobie Smulders in the 2016 film Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, returns in the latest novel, Chain Reaction, with a much more powerful role in the military. Child believes that makes her a perfect candidate for another Prime Video series. "I was glad that Andrew brought back Susan Turner," he said. "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."
In the new book, Turner commands CSA G-99 Section, an elite military investigative unit that essentially serves as the Army's own FBI. That setup could provide a rich backdrop for a crime thriller without requiring Reacher to appear in every episode. It's a natural fit for the streaming service, which has already seen success with other detective dramas like Bosch.
Andrew Child, who now co-writes the Reacher novels with his brother, explained why bringing Turner back made sense for the books. "One of the main issues that, from a practical point of view, we have is, and this gets harder with every installment, you always need a mechanism, like a hook, to bring him into the story," he said. "Some sort of coincidence. He happens to be in the place where these bad guys are doing this thing again. So we have to be really careful not to make that part too incredible."
Turner's elevated position offers a more organic way to pull Reacher into new adventures, and the same could work for a spinoff. With the Reacher franchise already expanding, fans might soon see more of Turner on screen. For now, they can dive into the latest novel, Chain Reaction, which explores a new AI-related mystery. And if you're hungry for more action, check out Jason Statham's latest hit on Prime Video.
As the Reacher universe continues to grow, it's clear that Lee Child's creation has plenty of life beyond its titular hero. Whether it's Neagley, Turner, or someone else, Prime Video seems eager to keep the stories coming.
