Summary

• Tom Cruise potentially starring in Quentin Tarantino's final film is an exciting prospect, as it can redeem a missed opportunity and create an onscreen pairing with Brad Pitt.
• Despite being one of the industry's biggest stars, Cruise has never starred in a Tarantino film, making this collaboration highly anticipated.
• Cruise's work ethic and commanding screen presence, combined with Tarantino's excellent writing and directing, would make him a perfect fit for The Movie Critic and a great addition to Tarantino's roster of actors.

Amid the rumors surrounding Quentin Tarantino's final film, Brad Pitt has already been cast in The Movie Critic in an as-yet undisclosed role, the prospect of Cruise also appearing in Tarantino's The Movie Critic and starring alongside Pitt has the potential to be one of the best onscreen pairings in a major Hollywood movie. Given both actors' star power and Tarantino's excellent writing and directing combined with the film being Tarantino's last, it would feel appropriate to unite all three forces for the first time.

While Pitt and Tarantino have already collaborated twice, Cruise has never starred in one of the filmmaker's movies despite being one of the industry's biggest stars. Cruise's all-in approach to acting and Tarantino's unique narrative structure and infectiously rhythmic dialogue seem like a match made in heaven regarding a potential collaboration, but nothing is set in stone regarding the situation. Additionally, seeing Cruise alongside Pitt would be a first since 1994's Interview with the Vampire, and it would make up for a missed opportunity in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood.

Tom Cruise Was Originally Set To Play Cliff Booth In Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood

Pitt would go on to deliver an Oscar-winning performance as Cliff instead.

Although Pitt delivered a performance so good, it's hard to imagine anyone else as Cliff in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, Cruise was briefly considered for the role before Tarantino ultimately decided on Pitt. Per Collider, Tarantino actually spoke with Cruise in person about the role, describing him as a "great guy," but decided that Pitt would work better in the role since he and Leonardo DiCaprio had the greatest screen pairing. Although Cruise didn't make the cut, he shifted his focus to the critical and commercial success that is Top Gun: Maverick, while Pitt secured an Oscar.

Why Tom Cruise Starring In The Movie Critic Would Be So Exciting

It would be the first (and last) time Cruise, Pitt, and Tarantino worked on a movie together.

Cruise being cast in The Movie Critic would be exciting because it would reunite Cruise and Pitt and, more importantly, it would mark the first time Cruise, Pitt, and Tarantino ever collaborated on the same project. Given Cruise's work ethic and commanding screen presence, audiences have already seen the actor work with the likes of Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, Paul Thomas Anderson, and John Woo, so it would be fitting if he starred in yet another auteur's film - in this case, his very last one at that.

One of Tarantino's greatest strengths as a director is his ability to cast seemingly any actor of any caliber, and extract from them one of the best performances of their careers. As seen in his previous work, Tarantino's characters always stand out as some of the industry's best due to their complex nature and exceptionally written dialogue. Cruise is one of the actors Tarantino should work with, considering everything they've contributed to the arts. With a release date still pending, there's hope that Cruise will appear in The Movie Critic in some capacity.