Ryanverse

Last updated
Ryanverse
Tom Clancy at Burns Library cropped.jpg
Tom Clancy, the creator of the Ryanverse
Created by Tom Clancy
Original work The Hunt for Red October (1984)
Owner Paramount Global
Years1984–present
Print publications
Novel(s) List
Films and television
Film(s) List
Television series Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan
Games
Video game(s) List
Miscellaneous
Character(s) List
Portrayers

The Ryanverse franchise focuses on the character Jack Ryan, a fictional CIA analyst created in 1984 by American author Tom Clancy, who featured him in fourteen novels. It also features CIA operative John Clark and The Campus, a covert counter-terrorism and intelligence organization. Since Clancy's death in 2013, four other authors have written authorized novels featuring Ryan and the Campus: Mark Greaney, Marc Cameron, and Andrews and Wilson. In addition, a spin-off series featuring Ryan's son Jack Junior was written by Grant Blackwood, Mike Maden, Don Bentley, and M. P. Woodward. The latest novel is Terminal Velocity by M. P. Woodward, a Jack Junior novel published in September 2025.

Contents

Clancy's novels featuring the Ryanverse have charted at the top of the New York Times bestseller list, selling more than 100 million copies. [1] [2] They have been adapted for film, video games, and television. The films, starring Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine as Ryan, have an unadjusted worldwide gross revenue of $788.4 million to date, [3] making it the 57th-highest-grossing film series. [4] Amazon Prime Video has released a television series featuring John Krasinski as Ryan and a planned film series featuring Michael B. Jordan as Clark. In addition, Clark has appeared in the Rainbow Six series of video games.

Publication history

Concept and creation

Clancy developed the Jack Ryan character while working as an insurance agent in Maryland, drawing extensively from his early interests and personal background. [5] Clancy, who grew up in an Irish-American family in Baltimore and was unable to serve in the military due to nearsightedness, developed a passion for military history and strategy from an early age. He was described as a "nerd" who enjoyed playing military board games and was an avid reader of military history books and science fiction.

The author's research methodology became central to his character and world-building process. Many of Clancy's insurance clients were former nuclear submariners, both officers and enlisted personnel, whose expertise he systematically gathered. [6] He conducted extensive research using military publications such as Armed Forces Weekly and Jane's Defence Weekly , and collaborated with subject experts ranging from Soviet defectors to retired Air Force generals. Clancy based his first novel on the real-life attempted defection of the crew of the Soviet frigate Storozhevoy to Sweden. [7] [8]

According to character sketches discovered by the U.S. Naval Institute, Clancy originally envisioned Ryan as born in the 1950s, the son of a Baltimore police officer and hospital nurse. The character was designed to attend Clancy's own alma mater, Loyola High School, and earn an economics degree from Boston College before joining the United States Marine Corps. The detailed background included Ryan's career path from a helicopter crash injury during military service, through work at Merrill Lynch, to eventual recruitment by the CIA while working as an associate editor with the U.S. Naval Institute. [9]

The character of Jack Ryan was modeled partly on former Director of Central Intelligence Robert Gates, with Clancy telling Gates that "You know, for the first several novels, I pretty much modeled Ryan's career on yours". [10] This grounding in real-world intelligence careers helped establish the series' commitment to authenticity in depicting government operations and military technology. As for Clark, Clancy described him as "Ryan's dark side" and "more inclined to take physical action than Jack is." [11]

Novels

Tom Clancy novels

Clancy's debut novel, The Hunt for Red October , was first published by Naval Institute Press in 1984. [12] It marks the first appearance of Jack Ryan, an analyst working for the Central Intelligence Agency. He rises up the ranks in the CIA, eventually becoming Deputy Director in The Sum of All Fears . After a brief retirement from government service, Ryan is appointed National Security Advisor in Debt of Honor to deal with a crisis involving Japan. After being nominated as Vice President, he becomes President of the United States following a terrorist attack at the United States Capitol.

John Clark first appeared in The Cardinal of the Kremlin , with his origin story established in Without Remorse . A former Navy SEAL as John Terrence Kelly, he fakes his death after waging a one-man war on drug dealers in Baltimore in order to avoid capture by Ryan's father Emmet, a police lieutenant. Clark becomes a CIA officer and first meets Ryan in Clear and Present Danger as they work to rescue a U.S. Army black ops unit abandoned by the government after carrying out a secret war against the Medellin Cartel in Colombia. Clark meets Domingo "Ding" Chavez during the rescue, and they later work together in the CIA. Clark later forms the elite international counter-terrorism organization known as Rainbow, as depicted in Rainbow Six .

Ryan later finishes his term as President and creates The Campus, a covert counter-terrorism and intelligence organization fronting as Hendley Associates, a financial trading firm, in The Teeth of the Tiger . His son, Jack Junior, and his nephews, Dominic and Brian Caruso, are its first recruits. A prequel novel, Red Rabbit , focuses on Ryan as a CIA liaison with British foreign intelligence as he uncovers a plot to assassinate Pope John Paul II. All the books were published in the United States through G. P. Putnam's Sons.

  1. The Hunt for Red October (1984)
  2. Patriot Games (1987)
  3. The Cardinal of the Kremlin (1988)
  4. Clear and Present Danger (1989)
  5. The Sum of All Fears (1991)
  6. Without Remorse (1993)
  7. Debt of Honor (1994)
  8. Executive Orders (1996)
  9. Rainbow Six (1998)
  10. The Bear and the Dragon (2000)
  11. Red Rabbit (2002)
  12. The Teeth of the Tiger (2003)

Collaborations

After a seven-year break from writing fiction, Clancy returned in 2010 with Dead or Alive , co-written with Grant Blackwood. [13] It brought Ryan, Clark, Chavez, and the Campus together in what was called the All-Star Team. [14]

The spin-off novel Against All Enemies , co-written with Peter Telep, features ex-Navy SEAL and CIA paramilitary officer Max Moore. [15] A sequel, Search and Destroy , remains unpublished. [16]

Clancy co-wrote his final three novels with Mark Greaney, with Command Authority posthumously released after his death in 2013. [17] In the books, Ryan becomes President for a second time, and Clark and Chavez start working for The Campus alongside Jack Junior.

  1. Dead or Alive (with Grant Blackwood) (2010)
  2. Against All Enemies (with Peter Telep) (2011)
  3. Locked On (with Mark Greaney) (2011)
  4. Threat Vector (with Mark Greaney) (2012)
  5. Command Authority (with Mark Greaney) (2013)

Post-Clancy novels

After Clancy's death, a Campus spin-off novel featuring Dominic Caruso, Support and Defend , was written by Greaney and published in 2014. [18] Greaney went on to write three more novels featuring Ryan and the Campus. In 2017, Marc Cameron picked up the series [19] and wrote seven novels, including the Cold War prequel Red Winter . In 2024, Andrews and Wilson continued the Jack Ryan series starting with Act of Defiance , a direct sequel to The Hunt for Red October released on the 40th anniversary of its publication. [20] They announced their exit in 2025 and will be replaced by Ward Larsen in 2026. [21]

  1. Support and Defend (2014, by Mark Greaney)
  2. Full Force and Effect (2014, by Mark Greaney)
  3. Commander in Chief (2015, by Mark Greaney)
  4. True Faith and Allegiance (2016, by Mark Greaney)
  5. Power and Empire (2017, by Marc Cameron)
  6. Oath of Office (2018, by Marc Cameron)
  7. Code of Honor (2019, by Marc Cameron)
  8. Shadow of the Dragon (2020, by Marc Cameron)
  9. Chain of Command (2021, by Marc Cameron)
  10. Red Winter (2022, by Marc Cameron)
  11. Command and Control (2023, by Marc Cameron)
  12. Act of Defiance (2024, by Andrews and Wilson)
  13. Defense Protocol (2024, by Andrews and Wilson)
  14. Executive Power (forthcoming 2025, by Andrews and Wilson)
  15. Rules of Engagement (forthcoming 2026, by Ward Larsen)

Jack Ryan Jr.

The Jack Ryan Jr. spin-off series was started by Blackwood, who wrote two novels. It was continued by Mike Maden in 2017, [22] who wrote four novels, and in 2021 by Don Bentley, who wrote four more. [23] In 2023, M. P. Woodward was announced to continue the series. [24]

  1. Under Fire (2015, by Grant Blackwood)
  2. Duty and Honor (2016, by Grant Blackwood)
  3. Point of Contact (2017, by Mike Maden)
  4. Line of Sight (2018, by Mike Maden)
  5. Enemy Contact (2019, by Mike Maden)
  6. Firing Point (2020, by Mike Maden)
  7. Target Acquired (2021, by Don Bentley)
  8. Zero Hour (2022, by Don Bentley)
  9. Flash Point (2023, by Don Bentley)
  10. Weapons Grade (2023, by Don Bentley)
  11. Shadow State (2024, by M. P. Woodward)
  12. Line of Demarcation (2025, by M. P. Woodward)
  13. Terminal Velocity (2025, by M. P. Woodward)

Characters

Cast

Some of the key characters in the Ryanverse have been portrayed in the following films and television series:

CharacterFilmsTelevision
First film seriesSecond film seriesThird film seriesSpin-off seriesTelevision series
The Hunt for Red October Patriot Games Clear and Present Danger The Sum of All Fears Jack Ryan:
Shadow Recruit 		Without Remorse Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4
1990199219942002201420212018201920222023
Jack Ryan Alec Baldwin Harrison Ford Ben Affleck Chris Pine   John Krasinski
Catherine Ryan (née Muller) Gates McFadden Anne Archer Bridget Moynahan Keira Knightley   Abbie Cornish  Abbie Cornish
James Greer James Earl Jones   Wendell Pierce
Sally RyanLouise Borras Thora Birch  
John Clark   Willem Dafoe Liev Schreiber   Michael B. Jordan  
Robert "Bob" Ritter  Henry Czerny   Jamie Bell  
Olson / Rob Behringer  Colm Feore  
Viktor Cherevin / Rykov  Kenneth Branagh Brett Gelman  
Matice Garth/Jeff  John Hoogenakker  
Mike November  Michael Kelly
Marko Ramius Sean Connery  
Bart Mancuso Scott Glenn  
Vasily Borodin Sam Neill  
Andrei Lysenko Joss Ackland  
Kevin O'Donnell  Patrick Bergin  
Sean Miller  Sean Bean  
William Holmes  James Fox  
Robby Jackson  Samuel L. Jackson  
Félix Cortez  Joaquim de Almeida  
Ernesto Escobedo  Miguel Sandoval  
Bennett  Donald Moffat  
Domingo Chavez  Raymond Cruz   Michael Peña
William Cabot  Morgan Freeman  
J. Robert Fowler  James Cromwell  
Anatoly Grushkov  Michael Byrne  
Thomas Harper  Kevin Costner  
Dixon Lewis  David Paymer  
Karen Greer  Jodie Turner-Smith  
Rowdy  Luke Mitchell  
Thunder  Jack Kesy  
Pastor West  Colman Domingo  
Hatchet  Jacob Scipio  
Keith Webb  Cam Gigandet  
Dallas  Todd Lasance  
Mousa bin Suleiman  Ali Suliman  
Hanin Ali  Dina Shihabi  
Harriet "Harry" Baumann  Noomi Rapace  
Nicolás Reyes  Jordi Molla  
Miguel Ubarri  Francisco Denis  
Gloria Bonalde  Cristina Umaña  
Marcus Bishop  Jovan Adepo  
Elizabeth Wright  Betty Gabriel
Luka Goncharov  James Cosmo  
Petr Kovac  Peter Guinness  
Alena Kovac  Nina Hoss  
Alexei Petrov Alexej Manvelov 

Presidents

A total of six presidents are depicted in the Ryanverse, although only five are named:

Various books contain references to the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush as if they had happened.

The Campus

Beginning with The Teeth of the Tiger, Ryanverse novels feature The Campus, a covert counter-terrorism and intelligence organization. Hendley Associates, a private trading and arbitrage company, serves as a legitimate cover for the organization, or its "white-side". They fund The Campus's intelligence operations by stock market trades influenced by captured intelligence data, thus removing federal oversight and allowing free rein in the Campus's operations. The Campus was later integrated by President Ryan and Director of National Intelligence Mary Pat Foley into the U.S. intelligence community in Flash Point to deal with a crisis at the South China Sea.

Adaptations

Films

First film series
Second film series
Third film series
Spin-off series


Television

A television series adaptation, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan , premiered on August 31, 2018, on Amazon Prime Video. The show was created by Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland, with Michael Bay as an executive producer and production company Platinum Dunes and Paramount Television serving as a co-production studio partners. John Krasinski stars in the title role. [34] [35] [36] The series ran for four seasons and ended in July 2023.

Actors who played Jack Ryan

Actors who played John Clark

Video games

Many video games based on the Ryanverse have been made, some based on the novels, some on the films, some on the spin-offs.

Rainbow Six games

The novel Rainbow Six became the basis for a series of tactical first-person shooter video games.

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ Bosman, Julie (2 October 2013). "Tom Clancy, Best-Selling Master of Military Thrillers, Dies at 66". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  2. ↑ Birmingham, John (2013-10-04). "Techno-thriller king left explosive legacy". The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on 2016-04-08. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
  3. ↑ "Jack Ryan Movies". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Movie Franchises". The Numbers . Nash Information Services. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  5. ↑ Stillwell, Paul (October 2014). "The Making of a Best Seller". U.S. Naval Institute. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
  6. ↑ Staff (February 12, 2022). "Into The Ryanverse: Tom Clancy's Tom Clancy". The Quietus. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
  7. ↑ Roblin, Sebastien (March 26, 2021). "In 1975, a Disillusioned Soviet Navy Frigate Betrayed Its Country". The National Interest. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  8. ↑ Clancy, Tom (October 1986). "Tom Clancy speaks at National Security Agency". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  9. ↑ Werner, Ben (August 31, 2018). "Uncovered Tom Clancy Notes Shed Light on the Untold Origin of Jack Ryan". USNI News. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Robert M. Gates Oral History | Miller Center". 9 June 2025.
  11. ↑ Carlson, Peter. "What ticks Tom Clancy off?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  12. ↑ Diamond, Dan. "Tom Clancy's legend began 40 years ago — with a nudge from The Post". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  13. ↑ "Dead Or Alive - New Tom Clancy Book Release Date". Book Equals. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  14. ↑ Flood, Allison (8 April 2010). "Tom Clancy heroes join forces against terror menace". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  15. ↑ "AGAINST ALL ENEMIES by Tom Clancy". YouTube . Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  16. ↑ Clancy, Tom (23 May 2012). Search and Destroy: Tom Clancy. Penguin Books, Limited. ISBN   978-0718176679.
  17. ↑ Minzesheimer, Bob. "Will Jack Ryan live on after Tom Clancy's death?". USA Today. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  18. ↑ Minzesheimer, Bob. "Book Buzz: Tom Clancy lives on in new thriller". USA Today. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  19. ↑ Steck, Ryan. "'Tom Clancy Power And Empire,' The First Jack Ryan Novel Written By Marc Cameron, Will Be Available This November". The Real Book Spy. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  20. ↑ Steck, Ryan (20 May 2023). "Andrews & Wilson to Takeover Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Franchise". The Real Book Spy. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  21. ↑ Steck, Ryan. "BREAKING: Andrews & Wilson Exit The Tom Clancy Series; What I'm Hearing About Who Will Replace Them". The Real Book Spy. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  22. ↑ Steck, Ryan. "Exclusive: Big Changes Coming To The Tom Clancy Universe In 2017". The Real Book Spy. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  23. ↑ Steck, Ryan. "Don Bentley's First Jack Ryan Thriller Coming in June". The Real Book Spy. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  24. ↑ Steck, Ryan. "TOM CLANCY SHADOW STATE: M.P. Woodward's First Jack Ryan Thriller Due Out this August". The Real Book Spy. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  25. ↑ Welkos, Robert W. (1992-06-11). "Variety Editor's Letter Over Review Angers Employees". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2011-01-06.
  26. ↑ "Patriot Games". Entertainment Weekly . 1992-06-05. Archived from the original on May 26, 2007. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  27. ↑ "Patriot Games". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  28. ↑ "The 67th Academy Awards (1995) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
  29. ↑ "The Sum of All Fears". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on December 4, 2007. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  30. ↑ Lana K. Wilson-Combs, "wHEW!Freeman won't give up acting anytime soon", The Argus (May 31, 2002).
  31. ↑ Hartlaub, Peter (January 16, 2014). "'Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit' review: Pine fine in reboot". San Francisco Chronicle . Hearst Corporation . Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  32. ↑ Smith, Kyle (January 15, 2014). "Smart and fast 'Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit' entertains". New York Post . News Corp . Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  33. ↑ Kit, Borys (February 8, 2021). "Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society Signs Film Deal With Amazon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  34. ↑ Andreva, Nellie (September 22, 2015). "Jack Ryan TV Series From Carlton Cuse, Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes & Paramount Chased By Nets".
  35. ↑ Andreva, Nellie (April 29, 2016). "John Krasinski To Star In 'Jack Ryan' Amazon TV Series From Carlton Cuse & Paramount TV".
  36. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (January 20, 2017). "'Dan Sackheim Joins 'Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan' As Director & Executive Producer". Deadline. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
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