The new eight-episode series' biggest strength is its leading man, with 38-year-old Aldis Hodge taking the lead as the buff and confident crime solver. While Hodge is a familiar face due to his past decade of supporting film roles,

Unlike in some previous adaptations, this Alex Cross is particularly spry and muscled — just as the writer James Patterson created him.

The star of Prime's new series Cross talks about growing up Black in America and what the iconic role represents to the culture