Top Gun: Maverick proves that now would be the perfect time for Tom Cruise to take a villain role again after years of being a literal action hero. Tom Cruise has been a massive movie star for decades, but the last third of his career has been especially memorable thanks to a plethora of action blockbusters and breathtaking stunts. Asking if Tom Cruise is piloting Top Gun: Maverick planes is a perfectly sensible question due to the actor’s movie history – which is itself a testament to Cruise’s film career.
Although Tom Cruise might be known these days for willingly putting his life on the line for his action movies, there was a time when he was known simply as a really good, charismatic actor. It’s an essential part of Tom Cruise’s skillset that has gotten a little lost amidst his anxiety-inducing stunts like scaling the world’s tallest building, but Top Gun: Maverick is a poignant reminder that he is still no slouch when it comes to the actual acting part itself. His scenes with Val Kilmer in particular are nostalgic and emotional; there was some speculation before the movie’s release about Tom Cruise’s Top Gun 2 Oscar chances, and even now it still seems a nomination is a genuine (longshot) possibility. More importantly, Top Gun: Maverick‘s incredible critical and financial success can offer a real opportunity to the 60-year-old actor.
It may seem strange to talk about one of the world’s most famous entertainers finally getting an opportunity to do something. However, now that Top Gun: Maverick has finally given Tom Cruise his first $1 billion dollar movie, there isn’t much else for him to accomplish aside from chasing awards like a long-elusive Oscar. It’s clear there’s a way for Tom Cruise to graciously step away from action movies and refocus on pure acting, especially if the rumor that Mission: Impossible 8 will be the last movie in the franchise ends up being true. A great transition into the next stage of his career would be to play a villain at least once. He has done it before with great success, and reinventing himself in this light would further extend his career.
Why Tom Cruise Should Play More Villains
“Father Time is undefeated” is a common saying in sports. Everyone has a finite amount of time to excel at the highest level because age is always a looming factor. That will eventually apply to Tom Cruise too. As he gets older, it’s an undeniable objective truth that performing his own stunts becomes an increasingly riskier business. Becoming a character actor significantly extends his career, and if he’s still looking for high stakes to thrill audiences, Tom Cruise can die as a movie character rather than literally risking death every time he’s on camera. Given that villains have a propensity for death, it makes sense for Tom Cruise to explore that territory once more after almost two decades of kinetic action blockbusters.
The best part is that none of this has to be a hypothetical exercise. History has proven multiple times that Tom Cruise doing something against type leads to great success. Even within the context of action blockbusters, 2014’s Edge of Tomorrow is one of Tom Cruise’s more memorable roles in part because he goes from a coward to a hero rather than being a hero from the get-go. From an acting standpoint, however, the last time Tom Cruise generated significant acclaim before Top Gun: Maverick was in 2004’s Collateral. In the aftermath of Top Gun 2‘s scenes involving Val Kilmer, Collateral has taken on a second life as the movie that reunites Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer if Kilmer isn’t replaced by Mark Ruffalo. As it were, Tom Cruise’s Collateral performance is a startlingly effective demonstration of an actor going against type gone right.
Tom Cruise No Longer Needs To Take Chances
Unfortunately, Top Gun: Maverick also proves that Tom Cruise has no incentive to change – at least not for the foreseeable future. Tom Cruise’s more experimental work came right before he fully transformed into an action star. He no longer needs to take on daring acting projects because he’s found a home in action blockbusters. Only time will tell what direction Tom Cruise goes in – but having villainous roles in his future could lead to an even more promising future for the actor.
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About The Author
Barrett Sonn
(6 Articles Published)
Barrett Sonn is a freelance movie/TV features writer for Screen Rant. He got an early start in the entertainment industry as a part-time child model. Sadly, all the modeling opportunities went away as he got older. Now he has an educational background in communications and media (and a little theatre). He is a former opinion columnist and radio talk show host from his time in Iowa City. More recently, he has written and edited for several publications in Chicago and the Chicagoland area. Even more recently, he wrote this bio. When Barrett isn’t writing about movies and TV shows, he’s usually watching them. He is also a big fan of playing/watching basketball, dishonoring his family, and dropping endless “I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson” references like someone with slicked back hair. Barrett is the founder of movie/TV review site KUATOCOBRETTI.COM (@KUATO_COBRETTI). He can also be found taking long walks on the beach while pretending to be deeply, profoundly introspective.
