Now that we’re getting into holiday season, everyone should be dusting off their VHS (or DVD if you’re in the 21st century) copies of Die Hard since it’s the perfect holiday movie. Even if you’re not hunkering down with your family to watch John McClane (Bruce Willis) save Nakatomi Plaza from a band of terrorists/thieves, maybe you’re excited about news of a sixth Die Hard film. In a recent interview Die Hardest screenwriter Ben Trebilcook revealed that they might bring back one of McClane’s old comrades. So we’re taking this opportunity to look back at McClane’s best partners.
20th Century Fox
Jack McClane (Jai Courtney)
In A Good Day to Die Hard, John McClane was joined by his son, Jack, to fight against corrupted Russian government officials. Who doesn’t love a father and son bonding movie; it’s good fun all around. Sort of. John and Jack don’t exactly have the most loving relationship, but they make a good team.
Matt Farrell (Justin Long)
As the young computer hacker to McClane’s wizened detective, Matt Farrell isn’t like any other of John’s partners. He doesn’t have any experience averting terrorist plots, he can’t shoot a gun, and he’s kind of jumpy. But what he lacks in physicality, he makes up for with computer knowledge — which John totally does not have.
Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson)
As in father of Apollo, Mt. Olympus, don’t mess with him or he’ll shoot a lightning bolt at you. Most fans of the Die Hard film series can attest that Zeus is probably the most beloved of John’s partners; he certainly has some of the best one-liners, like the slightly-altered quip mentioned earlier.
Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson)
Although we all love Zeus, Sergeant Al Powell will forever be John McClane’s best partner because he was there with John at Nakatomi Plaza where it all began. Al and John became lifelong friends on that fateful December night as they helped each other thwart Hans Gruber’s plans and save the hostages. Al even makes a cameo in Die Hard 2, though more as a friend than a partner.
