Tom Clancy, author of more than a dozen best-selling spy novels, has always been known as a stickler for authenticity. So when it came time to do the research for playing the role of Jack Ryan in the new Amazon series, star John Krasinksi—along with the show’s producers—knocked on the doors of the CIA itself.

“I’m a huge nerd for all that stuff…so to go to the CIA and actually get to spend that much time with these real people; they’re just the most amazingly normal and completely abnormal extraordinary people and they are on the front lines for us every day,” Krasinski shared at New York Comic Con.

“You see that it’s a very apolitical place,” he added. “It’s a place of making sure that our freedoms are protected and that we are safe.”

“Authenticity is one of, if not the biggest, hallmarks of Tom Clancy. He researched a lot and so Carlton [Cuse, co-creator] and I knew that we had to carry on that tradition. We had some great consultants,” said co-creator and producer Graham Roland.

Clancy created the character of Jack Ryan more than 33 years ago with his first novel, The Hunt for Red October, but Ryan’s appeal is a timeless one, explains Cuse.

“Now is a great time to have this kind of a story. I think we all hope that there are people like Jack Ryan who stand between us and the evil of the world. Jack is a classic American hero,” he said.

Krasinski told fans he was honored to be playing the part of someone who makes sacrifices for the good of their country.

“I come from a big military family. I grew up with 11 aunts and uncles and cousins who serve and who are currently serving,” Krasinski, who described himself as “a huge Jack Ryan fan,” explained. “I don’t think in today’s world you can find anything more inspiring than someone who’s committed to doing something totally selfless.”

The challenge with a character who’s been represented so many times already in books and film was to make sure the newest iteration felt current while staying true to the heart of Jack Ryan.

“I think there have been 72 people who have played this role. Lucky 73!” Krasinski joked.

“One of the genius things about Clancy is that he really had his finger on the geopolitical pulse of the day,” Cuse said. “But we started adapting one of the books and we realized it just felt dated so we came up with an original story that felt of this time and of this moment,” he said.

“That’s how they pitched it to me: as much as we all love Jack Ryan, this has to be totally different, totally new, darker, a little more intense take,” Krasinski said.

But don’t worry, there’s still room for romance: Ryan meets his future wife, Cathy Mueller, in the first season.

Explains Cuse: “We wanted to start Jack and Cathy’s relationship when they were dating so there was some dynamism there and we can see it unfolding.”

Abbie Cornish, who plays Cathy, said it was fun doing lighter scenes with the “tall, handsome, charming, gorgeous” John, but her character, an infectious disease specialist plays a pivotal role in the plot, too (hint, hint).

“I definitely don’t kick any butt physically, just through a microscope,” Cornish joked.

The creators are also hopeful that streaming TV is a medium that suits Jack Ryan.

“The idea of being able to make a limited series and tell a Jack Ryan story across eight hours felt like a great opportunity…Most of Tom Clancy’s books are like 800 pages—they’re like weapons or doorstops—you can’t tell that story in a two-hour movie,” said Cuse. “We basically made an eight-hour movie.”

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan comes to Amazon Prime in 2018.

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