Tom Cruise might have fangirled HARD over The Flash, but you’ll never see him join forces with the Scarlet Speedster. Or with any superhero, for that matter, because if there’s one genre that Hollywood’s most bankable star doesn’t plan on adding to his incredibly impressive exhibit of Oscar-worthy (and winning) films, it’s that of superhero flicks.
Why Tom Cruise Has Never Led A Superhero Film
Even after spending more than four decades in the overly-competitive film industry, Tom Cruise still sits at the very top of the food chain, and rightly so. The man is as legendary as they come, driving motorcycles off clifftops in his ’60s and making movies that classify as the pinnacle of cinema. But even after ruling the business for years and breaking record after shocking record, you’ll never catch the Mission: Impossible star partake in a superhero movie.
While Cruise enjoys watching the flamboyant creations of DC and Marvel as much as the next guy, he isn’t keen on being a part of those films. But for someone who grew up idolizing some of Hollywood’s most revered and celebrated stars like Clint Eastwood and the late Steve McQueen, it makes sense why the award-winning actor would prefer realistic action movies over the world of CGI and multiverses.
“Look I really enjoy those films a lot. I enjoy them. But I make the ‘Missions’ and ‘Reacher’. Just different kind of films. I grew up watching ‘Shane’, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, and this kind of character that just goes for guys that really deserve it. The guy who really deserves it. Not everyone deserves it. But when they really deserve it they just get it.”
So, no, the action icon would rather save the day the old traditional way, all guns blazing and ready to kick a*s than have any indomitable superpowers aiding him. He’d rather fend off the bad guys with his brains and brawn, and of course, his disarming smile, than use a Batmobile or a divine hammer to chase his adversaries.
Perhaps that has something to do with him turning down the role of Iron Man.
He Came Close to Becoming One of the Most Beloved MCU Superheroes
At this point, Robert Downey Jr.‘s Iron Man is no short of a god in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even though the actor bid farewell to the character four years ago after Avengers: Endgame. As if that would ever deter comic book fans from worshipping at the altar of RDJ. To put it simply, his portrayal of Tony Stark is so sublime it’s indomitable.
But before the Oppenheimer star stepped into the shoes of the billionaire scientist who doubles as a formidable superhero, the studio had its eyes set on Cruise for the role. But the latter obviously rejected the offer, claiming that “it just didn’t feel to [him like it was gonna work.”
Earlier this year though, during his appearance on the Phase Zero podcast, the Top Gun star said that he hadn’t come anywhere near to landing the role. “Not close,” Cruise, 60, noted. “I love Robert Downey Jr., and I can’t imagine anyone else doing that role, and I think it’s perfect for him.”
Source: Yahoo! Entertainment
