It’s wholly appropriate that Olivier Richters is already drawing superhero comparisons, since his “Reacher” villain is pretty much the Bane to Reacher’s Batman. You’ve seen him playing various henchman roles in movies like “Black Widow,” “The King’s Man,” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” but Richters is set for his biggest role yet as Paul “Paulie” Masserella in season 3 of the Prime Video streaming series. Fans know full well that the character’s reputation precedes him, a former cop-turned-bodyguard who now uses his muscles to protect one of the major villains in “Persuader,” the “Jack Reacher” novel that serves as the basis for the next season and is commonly considered to be the best novel of the series.
Described by author Lee Child as a meth and steroid user, rapist, and murderer who towers head and shoulders over Jack Reacher, Paulie is also notable for coming the closest of any character in Child’s nearly 30-book series to actually killing Reacher with his bare hands. As if that weren’t enough, Paulie’s bloodthirsty methods and utterly remorseless personality also stands in direct opposition to Reacher’s innate sense of justice. Richters’ intimidating physicality pretty much speaks for itself, as does his history as a former bodybuilder. In short, expect plenty more images of Reacher bloodied and bruised to come.
Unfortunately, fans are in for a bit of a wait before season 3 arrives. The next installment of “Reacher” comes to Prime Video in 2025.