'Jack Ryan' Season 5: Why Prime Video Isn't Making Another Season

The series is over, but the franchise will go on.

By Michael Hein

Prime Video's spy-thriller series Jack Ryan was a critical hit with some huge talent and a well-established franchise behind it, but it was still canceled after Season 4 premiered this year. Many fans are baffled by the show's abrupt ending, especially as Tom Clancy's Ryanverse books provide plenty of material for more installments. Here's a look at all the reasons the show was canceled as far as the public knows.

Prime Video and Amazon Studios decided to cancel Jack Ryan behind closed doors, and we may never know all of the factors that went into the decision. However, one of the first reports on the cancellation from Deadline last spring implied that the show may not have been able to hold onto its star John Krasinski anymore. The A-lister reportedly signed a contract for four seasons of Jack Ryan, and to be an executive producer. Insiders said that Krasinski played a bigger and bigger role behind the scenes in the later seasons, though no one commented on the record.

Krasinski emphasized how demanding and difficult the shoot was while promoting Season 4. In a 2022 interview with The Wrap, he said: "What an incredible challenge that was for all of us to be [filming for] what was over a year and a half. We had a small break in the middle. But we were essentially away from our families for over a year and a half. And not just New York to LA, we're in Budapest and Slovakia, and Prague and wherever else. Canary Islands. It's a blessing to do it, but it's tough nonetheless." He also mentioned his love forthe franchise time and time again, telling ET: "The whole experience, to be really honest with you, has been surreal. Because, as a kid, Jack Ryan was my favorite character in the books and the movies, and the fact that I got to play him for five minutes let alone five years is amazing."

It's possible that Krasinski didn't want to commit to another contract on this show because of how much work it is for him, or because of the presure to get everything just right. It's also possible that Amazon did not want to pay him for this huge production, though again, neither he nor Prime Video ever commented on these theories. They would also make sense in the context of the upcoming spinoff. In Season 4, Jack Ryan brought in Michael Peña to play Domingo "Ding" Chavez – a major character in the Ryanverse – giving him a backdoor pilot for his own series. This is a great way for Prime Video to keep the franchise alive without paying for Krasinski's star-power, while allowing Krasinski to spend time with his family or head off to other projects.

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There are plenty of other theories online about why this series was canceled, though none has as much evidence as even the dubious amount in the paragraph above. Of course, many commenters have speculated that Jack Ryan wasn't getting enough viewers for Amazon to continue investing in it, but that can't be proven because there is little ratings data for the series available to the public. Viewership isn't the only metric streamers rely on, either – they want shows to help increase their number of subscribers, not just serve the existing audience.

While the cancellation of Jack Ryan is sad, the promise of a spinoff seems to be a strong consolation for fans – particularly a spinoff so steeped in the Ryanverse lore. You can stream all four seasons of Jack Ryan now on Prime Video, or find Clancy's novels in print, digital and audiobook formats. There's no word on when the spinoff will premiere.

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