Black Adam's Aldis Hodge To Play Iconic Detective Alex Cross In A New Prime Video Series

Whether it's "Jack Reacher," "Jack Ryan," or "Bosch," Amazon has become the go-to destination for TV series based on potboilers that are most often sold in airports. Back in January 2020, Variety reported that Amazon is working on a fourth TV show based on a bestselling novel series: "Cross," which is inspired by James Patterson's "Alex Cross" series of 29 thrillers.

Patterson's Alex Cross is one of the most iconic detectives in genre fiction, a combination FBI agent, detective, and psychologist haunted by his past cases. He's previously been the main character in three films. Morgan Freeman portrayed him in 1997's "Kiss the Girls" and 2001's "Along Came a Spider," while Tyler Perry played him in a 2012 film that was also titled "Cross." However, this will be the first time Alex Cross fronts his own TV series.

Now, more than two and a half years later, Amazon's "Cross" series has its leading man.

As reported by Variety, Aldis Hodge has been cast as Alex Cross. He was most recently seen as Hawkman in "Black Adam," the Dwayne Johnson vehicle about an antihero who's been released from prison 5,000 years in captivity and is unleashed on the world. In addition to Hawkeye, Hodge played NFL legend Jim Brown in "One Night in Miami," Levi Jackson in "Hidden Figures," and MC Ren in "Straight Outta Compton." He's also starred in the TV series "Leverage: Redemption," "Underground" and "Turn: Washington's Spies." He currently stars in and executive produces the Showtime series "City on a Hill."

But Hawkeye was his breakout role. As Hodge told Esquire, when he first landed the part of Hawkeye, he quickly realized how much history the character has over 40-plus years. "When I first booked the job, I didn't realize then how much love Hawkman had, right? The pressure came on a little bit," he said. Now, he just has to fill a leading role once occupied by Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry. Good thing he's already used to pressure.

Amazon hasn't shared more details about what the "Cross" TV series will be like. It's possible it will be based on some or all of Patterson's 29 novels (except for the two that were adapted into movies), but it's also possible the show will tell entirely new stories. We'll learn more in the coming months.