Tom Cruise is back and better than ever in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, and ET has a look at what fans can expect from the upcoming thriller.

"Reacher is a badass, tough character," Cruise says in a behind-the-scenes clip. "The character has a very swift and violent approach. Even if you're knocked out, he's going to break your leg, because he doesn't want you coming after him"

WATCH: Cobie Smulders Talks Working With Tom Cruise on 'Jack Reacher 2'



The action star returns as the drifter with a military past in the second installment of the Jack Reacher franchise, opening Oct. 21. The sequel has Reacher helping the woman who took over the elite unit he once commanded, played by Cobie Smulders.

The film definitely required a lot more physical training for Smulders than her role as Robin on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

"It was a huge education in that world of being fit, staying fit," Smulders says. "You had to get to a certain fitness level. We were [training] six weeks before we even started rolling cameras."

WATCH: How to Drive & Fight Like Jack Reacher!



Jack Reacher: Never Go Back opens Oct. 21.