Tom Cruise is one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars to have never dipped his toes into the superhero genre. While Cruise was once in contention for the role of Tony Stark / Iron Man during the inception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the star could have just as easily ended up on the DC side of the superhero landscape.
According to reports, Cruise was heavily involved in the development of a lesser-known DC title which would have seen him make his superhero debut. Moreover, the director of one of the best superhero films from the 2000s, Sam Raimi, was also attached to the project. Here is everything you need to know about Tom Cruise’s unmade DC project.
Tom Cruise Was Set to Make His DC Debut With an Adaptation of Sleeper From Director Sam Raimi
In 2008, Tom Cruise‘s chance to play Iron Man had passed but the actor seemed to be interested in the superhero genre. According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Cruise was loosely attached to star in an adaptation of the Sleeper comic book written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips.
The comic was printed under the Wildstorm imprint of DC Comics. The title first debuted in 2003 and lasted for twelve issues. The Wildstorm Universe originally started at Image Comics before it was purchased by DC and integrated into its own universe. As a result, the Cruise-led adaptation of Sleeper was expected to be set up at Warner Bros., despite alleged complicated rights issues.
In the same report, it was also stated that Cruise was working with director Sam Raimi, who directed the Tobey Maguire-led Spider-Man trilogy for Sony. However, Raimi, along with his producing partner Josh Donen, were only expected to serve as a producer on the film. The project never seemed to move forward as there were no further updates regarding it. It was later reported in 2013 that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were interested in adapting the comic for the big screen.
Why Sleeper‘s Supernatural Spy Role Was Perfect For Tom Cruise
Had the Sleeper adaptation developed under Cruise and Raimi come to fruition, it would have seen the Mission: Impossible star in the role of Holden Carver, also known as The Conductor. The comics sees Carver being placed as an undercover operative within a villainous organization led by TAO, an enemy of WildC.A.T.s, the premiere superhero team of the Wildstorm Universe.
Carver is bonded with a mysterious artifact that absorbs all the damage caused to his body and stores it in the form of energy. Carver can then release this energy, using it to attack his opponents. On paper, the role seems perfect for Cruise, as it would have kept his star persona intact without the actor having to simmer into the image of a well-established comic book character.
At the same time, Sleeper veers away from the tropes and conventions of the superhero genre for a more traditional crime-mystery / neo-noir story. Given Cruise’s filmography which includes the Jack Reacher franchise, such a story would have played to the actor’s strengths. Furthermore, the supernatural elements would have added an element of action spectacle fans usually associate with Cruise’s films, making the role perfect for him.
