Tom Cruise has enjoyed a long and illustrious career playing everything from action heroes to romantic leads to hilariously profane cigar-chomping movie producers. But one thing Cruise has never played? A superhero. Sure, a lot of the characters he plays are so insanely indestructible that they might as well be superheroes.
The line between Ethan Hunt and a true superhero is so razor-thin as to barely exist. However, the actor revealed that the closest he ever came to playing a comic book superhero was in the mid-'00s when he was up for the role of Tony Stark’s Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Of course, the role eventually went to Robert Downey Jr. and the rest is history.
Tom Cruise Says He’s Not The Right Fit For Iron Man
Tom Cruise is flying high thanks to the worldwide box office success of his new film, Top Gun: Maverick, which saw him secure the biggest opening ever in his career. The sequel to the 1980s classic proves that he is still popular when it comes to the big screen – which should open the door to more opportunities in the future.
One of those doors of opportunities could lead to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Before the release of 2008’s Iron Man, Cruise was given the chance to play Tony Stark. However, he turned down the role and eventually, it was given to another actor. He has opened about why he declined the part, explaining that he felt the film wouldn’t be a good fit for him.
“[Marvel Studios] came to me at a certain time and, when I do something, I wanna do it right. If I commit to something, it has to be done in way that I know it’s gonna be something special. And as it was lining up, it just didn’t feel to me like it was gonna work. I need to be able to make decisions and make the film as great as it can be, it just didn’t go down that road that way,” he explained.
Given his reputation for thorough work, Cruise appears to have wanted control over the project as one of his priorities. His career has been built on his precise sense of the roles that suit him best and the projects that utilize his particular set of skills.
He generally has excellent radar when it comes to selecting parts. His films are filled with an array of insane stunts that only Cruise would have the nerve to try. In fact, it is widely known that he performs his own death-defying stunts in the age of CGI. He is indeed one of Hollywood's greats.
Tom Cruise Says Robert Downey Jr. Is The Perfect Iron Man
In another interview, Tom Cruise himself believed that the role of Tony Stark is perfect for fellow actor Robert Downey Jr. He said, “Not close and I love Robert Downey Jr. I can’t imagine anyone else in that role and I think it’s perfect for him.” He and the MCU fans agreed that the superhero role was made for Downey, although he traveled a rough road before getting the opportunity.
It can be remembered that Downey made the original film a smash hit with $585 million at the box office worldwide. He has reprised the role multiple times in other MCU films. He has become so fused with the Tony Stark role that, as Cruise said, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the part.
But will fans ever see Tom Cruise follow Downey’s lead and enter the universe of superheroes? The actor won’t rule it out. But he does say that the project would have to meet his standards. He explained, “I look at a movie and I don’t rule anything out. It’s, ‘What’s the story? Does it interest me?”
The actor further added that the audience also concern him, along with the other standards, saying, “Do I feel this is where the audience would like to see me in? What can I learn?’ And ‘What can I contribute?’ That’s how I choose my movies.”
Tom Cruise may have missed out on playing Iron Man, but his career has gone along just fine regardless. He remains the rare big Hollywood star who has managed to keep his name worth to be in the hall of fame. Perhaps one day he will give in and join the MCU or DCEU, but probably not until after the well of action films runs dry.
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