It’s highly unlikely the worlds of Stephen King and Lee Child’s Jack Reacher would ever connect, but they actually did! Seventeen years ago, King included a mention of Reacher in one of his books, essentially confirming Reacher exists within the same universe. Reacher, the former military police major, is named twice in King’s sci-fi novel, Under the Dome, which was also adapted into a TV show. If you’re a fan of the Reacher series and are waiting for Season 4, this might be an interesting detail to know.
Okay, so I have to admit, spotting that Easter egg really threw me! Jack Reacher is known for being grounded in reality – no crazy sci-fi or supernatural stuff. Seeing him pop up in that world got me immediately thinking: what else is he dealing with when we don’t see it? Is he secretly battling aliens and mad scientists on the side? Honestly, it’d be amazing if Lee Child and Stephen King ever teamed up to explore that side of Reacher in a novel. The potential is huge! For now, though, let’s rewind and see exactly how this unexpected crossover actually happened.
Jack Reacher Recommends a Skilled Officer in ‘Under the Dome’
Prime Video
I’m a big fan of Under the Dome, and it’s crazy how the whole story unfolds in just eight days – from October 21st to 28th, 2017! Everything kicks off at 11:44 a.m. on the 21st when this dome just appears around Chester’s Mill, Maine, cutting it off from the rest of the world. It’s this weird, almost see-through barrier, and no one knows where it came from. Of course, the military arrives quickly, led by a guy named Colonel Cox.
Jackie Wettington is one of the officers assisting with the current situation, and it’s revealed that Colonel Cox specifically requested her for the team. Cox explains that Jackie previously helped take down a drug operation at a hospital in Germany while she was in the Army. He adds that the legendary Jack Reacher, who Cox considers the best military police officer ever, personally recommended her. Later, Cox casually tells Jackie that Jack Reacher sends his greetings.
The main character in the book shares similarities with Jack Reacher. Like Lee Child’s famous hero, Dale “Barbie” Barbara is a former soldier who lives a wandering life. When he passes through Chester’s Mill, he quickly gets into trouble, finding himself at odds with dishonest police officers – much like John Rambo in a similar situation. While trying to escape, Dale is caught just as the Dome descends, trapping the town. The U.S. government then unexpectedly chooses him to lead Chester’s Mill until they can figure out how to remove the Dome.
Why Did Stephen King Tuck Jack Reacher’s Name Into His Novel?
CBS
When writing Under the Dome, Stephen King likely drew some inspiration from Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels. Considering how much his character Dale resembles Reacher, it’s fitting that King acknowledged the connection. It was a savvy move, too – he could have faced accusations of plagiarism if he’d ignored the similarities.
Stephen King is a big fan of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels. During Child’s book tour for Make Me in 2015, King admitted to loving all of Child’s work, and the feeling is clearly mutual. Child described meeting King as feeling like reconnecting with an old friend of forty years, noting they had both read each other’s books and understood each other well. As a testament to his admiration, Child even provided a quote for a later edition of King’s Under the Dome, simply stating: “Seven words: The best yet from the best ever.”
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Lee Child seems open to the idea of Jack Reacher existing in the same universe as Stephen King’s stories. There’s a good chance Alan Ritchson’s portrayal of Reacher could have appeared in the Under the Dome TV series if Amazon had produced it and it had been successful. However, the timing didn’t work out; Under the Dome aired from 2013 to 2015 and was canceled after three seasons, while Reacher is a more recent show. Despite this, many Stephen King novels have seen multiple adaptations, so a crossover could still happen if the right people decided to make it so.
Would you like to see Jack Reacher in one of Stephen King’s universes?
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2026-02-08 23:05