Tom Clancy's iconic character of Jack Ryan has been around since the release of the 1984 book entitled The Hunt for Red October, which also served as the title of the first Jack Ryan film, which was released in 1990. The character has been played by 5 different actors over the course of about 30 years.
While it has been a few years since Jack Ryan has appeared in movies, the character has found a great deal of success on TV with the Amazon Prime original series. Though each adaptation has positive qualities, some are held in higher regard by fans and critics.
6 Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Was The Last Film Featuring The Character - 6.2
In 2014, Chris Pine appeared on the big screen as Jack Ryan for the first and, most likely, last time. Kenneth Branagh directed and starred in the film alongside Pine, Keira Knightley, and Kevin Costner. While Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit differentiated itself from its predecessors, the movie was unable to gain much popularity amongst fans or critics.
Additionally, it is the lowest-grossing film in the Jack Ryan movie series. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit also marks the last time the character appears in a movie.
5 The Sum Of All Fears Rebooted The Movies - 6.4
Before stepping into the roles of Daredevil and Batman, Ben Affleck took on the part of Jack Ryan in 2002. The film acted as a reboot of the previous movies and saw Ryan working for CIA Director William Cabot, who was portrayed by Oscar winner Morgan Freeman.
Affleck's only outing as Jack Ryan was met with mixed reviews by most critics and fans alike. The Sum of All Fears had a box office total of nearly $200 million on a budget of about $70 million.
4 Patriot Games Showed Jack Ryan Protecting His Family - 6.9
Harrison Ford began playing the character of Jack Ryan in the 1992 film. Acting as a sequel to Alec Baldwin's The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games shows Ryan as a more established character. The beginning of the film has Ryan preventing the assassination of the Northern Ireland Minister of State, killing a few of the attackers in the process.
The rest of the movie shows Ryan attempting to protect his family from the brother of one of the attackers, who is seeking revenge against Ryan for his brother's death.
3 Clear & Present Danger Was John Clark's Film Debut - 6.9
The sequel to Patriot Games saw Harrison Ford returning to play Jack Ryan for one last outing, making Ford the only actor to play Ryan in multiple films. Ryan is seen investigating a Colombian drug cartel, and eventually, with some help, dismantles the organization.
Met with mostly positive reviews, Clear and Present Danger is also the highest-grossing film in the series, making around $215 million. The film also sees Ryan interacting with Willem Dafoe's John Clark, one of Tom Clancy's other iconic literary characters.
2 The Hunt For Red October Gave Jack Ryan A Strong Introduction - 7.6
The first movie in the Jack Ryan film series was released in 1990 and featured Alec Baldwin in the role of the CIA analyst. Baldwin is also the youngest actor to portray the character of Jack Ryan. Sean Connery starred as the mysterious Captain Marko Ramius, the Commanding Officer of the submarine known as Red October.
The plot of the film shows government officials in the U.S. believing that Ramius intends to attack the U.S. using the submarine's missiles, however, it is later revealed that he actually wants to defect to America, which Ryan helps him accomplish.
1 Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Brought The Character To TV - 8.1
Amazon Prime's hit series has proven itself to be an overwhelming success. Premiering back in 2018, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan has released 2 seasons, and a third season has already been confirmed. The show is headlined by The Office's John Krasinski as Jack Ryan, and Wendell Pierce as James Greer.
With more runtime than a movie, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan is able to take more time exploring the storylines and characters in this universe. The show demonstrates how to effectively tell a new and exciting story, while also respecting the past iterations of the character.