Reacher devotees have been teased with a glimpse at a side-splitting showdown with the new baddie Paulie, portrayed by Olivier Richters, who disclosed that the scuffle was every bit as wince-inducing as it seemed on screen. In the upcoming third season, the ever-stoical Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) becomes entangled in a DEA-related case, going undercover to spy on suspected drug trafficker Zachary Beck (Anthony Michael Hall).
Deep within an expansive criminal enterprise, Reacher encounters for the first time someone who can physically measure up to him: the towering bodyguard Paulie who serves Beck. The cheeky teaser showcases the pair squaring off in a gym, where Paulie dares our hero to a brute force challenge and Reacher proposes 'Bavarian arm wrestling'.
The scene sees Paulie with his fist on a preacher bench while Reacher attempts to pull him back, prompting a cocky response from Paulie, "Weaker than I thought.". While straining as hard as he can, Reacher craftily lets go, sending Paulie's own fist flying into his face.
The infuriated colossus isn't given a chance to retaliate fully due to an interruption, setting up for a possible epic clash later in the series. Chatting with Screen Time, Richters shared that he was committed to making their tussle seem as realistically painful as possible, jesting that viewers might sympathise with Paulie's plight, "What he did in the gym, that was not cool. I was looking for a gym bro and he did that to my face? Come on", reports the Express.
Richters opened up about the intense scene, admitting he opted for authenticity by taking a real punch. He said: "I was sitting in the bench, in the preacher curl bench, and I was thinking, 'I'm either going to hit myself 10 times because they don't like it, or I'm going to hit myself just one time for real and then it's done'.
"And I chose the second one, I really hit myself super hard. And they said, 'We got it!' I was like, 'I know!'. "I hit myself so hard I actually fell on the ground. Every reaction from that was real.". Standing at a towering 7'2", the actor known as the Dutch Giant holds the title of the world's tallest bodybuilder and has played bad guys in several blockbuster films, including Black Widow and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Even next to the formidable Reacher, played by Ritchson who is around 6'3", Richters claims his co-star needed platform shoes for certain scenes to avoid being overshadowed. "When I was fighting Harrison Ford," he recalled, "I was scared I was going from slow to hard, to harder and harder, I had to do it like nine times.
"But now it's just me, I can't hurt anyone, I'm just going to hit myself!". Despite his incredible size and strength, Richters fortunately avoided any serious injury and was ready to face off against Reacher in their much-anticipated fight scene later in the series.
Fans are set to witness this moment and more thrilling action when the popular show makes its return this week. Reacher season 3 premieres Thursday, 20th February on Prime Video. Obsessed with Netflix? Get the latest headlines, releases and insider-gossip direct to your inbox with our Binge-worthy newsletter.
