Alan Ritchson dubs Reacher’s protagonist “the American James Bond” and explains why his lack of self-awareness makes Jack Reacher a refreshing hero.

The name is Reacher, Jack Reacher.

In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Reacher star Alan Ritchson spoke about his series’ ongoing success with viewers and how much Reacher’s adventures compare to the exploits of a certain fictional British secret agent.

“It’s funny, I kind of feel like Reacher is the American James Bond, and I’ve never had more fun playing a character,” he admitted, describing himself as a fan of “those larger-than-life, over-the-top action thrillers and spy movies and the heists that are smart and ahead of the audience.

That’s really great, but I feel like Bond, to me personally — people are going to hate me for saying this — I love Bond, but I feel like it’s all a little misogynistic and predictable at this point.”

Besides his character’s phsyique and more confrontational tactics, Ritchson felt that what helps Reacher distinguish itself is how each season frames Reacher as “a little less purposefully cool,” in key situations.

By that, he added, Reacher isn’t “in on how slick he is. I don’t feel like we can have characters these days that are in on the joke. Either they know that they’re funny, they know that they’re smart, they know that they’re very cool or capable or invincible — I feel like it reduces the stakes of stories, and we’ve seen too many movies, we’re too savvy as an audience to be entertained by that.”

Reacher Season 3 Is in Production

Production on Reacher season 3 is currently underway, with Richson disclosing in February that they are “nearing completion” on the next chapter in Reacher’s life.

The new season will be inspired by author Lee Child’s novel Persuader and, with the exception of Reacher and reocurring ally Frances Neagley (Maria Sten), feature a clean slate of supporting characters.

Confirmed actors include Anthony Michael Hall as businessman/potential suspect Zachary Beck and Johnny Berchtold as his son Richard, as well as Roberto Montesinos, Sonya Cassidy, and Daniel David Stewart as DEA agents Guillermo Villanueva, Susan Duffy, and Steven Elliot. Brian Tee — who previously starred opposite Richson in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows — will also have a reoccurring season 3 role as Quinn, an ex-military figure from Reacher’s past.

Along with Reacher, Ritchson’s next role will be real-life soldier Anders Lassen in Guy Ritchie’s upcoming action film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. While a replacement for Daniel Craig in the James Bond franchise hasn’t been announced yet, reports suggest that Aaron Taylor-Johnson is being considered for the iconic 007 role.