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Every Major Movie Role Tom Cruise Turned Down
Here’s every major movie role Tom Cruise has turned down. The Mission Impossible star’s almost four-decade-long acting career is nothing short of impressive, from the dedication with which he throws himself headfirst into a role to the death-defying Mission: Impossible stunts he has managed to pull off over the years. Cruise has a long string of memorable performances to his credit, starting with his breakthrough role as Joel Goodson in the 1983 American comedy Risky Business and his iconic portrayal of expert aviator Maverick in Top Gun. Then on, Cruise went on to work with some of the most prolific directors of all time, including auteur Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, and Martin Scorsese to name a few.
Apart from lending his charismatic presence to big-budget action/sci-fi films like Edge of Tomorrow and Oblivion, Cruise is known for his intense commitment and drive in terms of pre-role preparation and character study. This is exemplified in the filming circumstances of Eyes Wide Shut, with its sprawling two-year filming, no set end-date, and Kubrick’s obsessive perfectionism that once led to Cruise doing 95 takes of simply walking through a door. Fast-forward twelve years and Cruise’s intense enthusiasm towards his roles has not faded - as signified by his Burj Kalifa stint in 2011’s Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, along with the decision to shoot aboard the International Space Station in zero-gravity for an upcoming space movie.
Cruise fans will also be excited about his other upcoming projects, which reprise his characters Maverick and Ethan Hunt - both having had an indelible impact on popular consciousness. While he has signed on to exciting projects throughout his career, there are a raft of roles that the Jack Reacher star has said no to, including a wildly-popular '80s dance flick and a leading role in a beloved cinematic universe. While Cruise has been nothing but a powerhouse despite passing up on some big-budget franchises, here’s a run-through of major movie roles that are a peek into what might have been.
Iron Man
It is difficult to envision anyone other than Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, owing to the emotional depth and nuanced wit he was able to bring to the character. Jon Favreau's Iron Man emerged as a trendsetter for superhero movies, without which, the Marvel Cinematic Universe wouldn’t be the same as it is today. However, in 2008, the studio was keener on casting Cruise, as he had expressed interest in the part and producing the film at the same time. While it might’ve been interesting to see Cruise don Tony Stark’s powered exoskeleton, it is probably for the best, as Cruise himself admitted in a 2005 interview that things wouldn’t have worked out if he chose to go down that road:
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“It's not happening. Not with me, no … They came to me at a certain point and, when I do something, I wanna do it right. If I commit to something, it has to be done in a 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, and it just didn't go down that road that way.”
The Shawshank Redemption
The enduring legacy of Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption, starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, is that of a rich, balanced narrative that captures the idea of the triumph of the human spirit without coming off as superficial or forced. Based on the Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, the film’s titular character, Andy Dufresne, was to be played by Cruise, as per the vision of producer Rob Reiner. Reiner, who had previously worked with Cruise on the sets of A Few Good Men, offered Darabont “a sh*tload of dough” in exchange for casting Cruise and handing over artistic control. While it was a tempting offer, Darabont refused, choosing to hold on to his creative integrity. The rest is history, as the film went on to garner seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
Footloose
Cruise’s memorable dance sequence in Risky Business convinced the producers of Footloose that he would be perfect for the part of “neutral teen” Ren McCormack. However, Cruise was unavailable for the part as he was busy filming All The Right Moves, in which he plays a Serbian American high-school defense back named Stefen Djordjevic. Eventually, the role was bagged by Kevin Bacon, who, in one of the film’s iconic scenes, belted out a distinctively frenzied dance move in an empty warehouse to the song Never by Moving Pictures. Footloose also got a sequel but lacked the charm of the original.
Edward Scissorhands
Despite the box office success of 1989’s Batman, Tim Burton was at the studio’s mercy in terms of casting for Edward Scissorhands, as they wanted Cruise to take up the mantle of the gentle-hearted artificial humanoid. While Burton did meet up with Cruise to discuss the character, he later commented that it “worked out for the best” as Cruise had suggested a “happier” ending for the fantasy romance film. Johnny Depp ended up getting the part, churning a terrific performance that artfully translated the character’s fierce longing to be loved.
