Tom Cruise's Cage from Edge of Tomorrow surrounded by dollars

Although Tom Cruise’s recent movie career includes plenty of critically acclaimed hits, I wish the actor would revisit the sci-fi genre, one he hasn’t focused on since 2014. Tom Cruise’s career began in the early ‘80s and, since then, the actor has impressed in a broad range of projects. While I enjoyed Cruise’s early crowd-pleasers like Risky Business and Top Gun, I was surprised by his superb turn in 1986’s underrated Martin Scorsese dramaThe Color of Money. Since then, Tom Cruise’s best movies have ranged from the propulsive thriller Collateral to the Mission: Impossible franchise’s bombastic blockbusters.

It is tough to predict where Cruise will take his career next, as the actor’s taste in projects has evolved over the years. The ‘90s saw Cruise branch out into horror with Interview With A Vampire, while Jerry Maguire cemented his potential as a rom-com leading man. In contrast, Cruise spent the 2010s starring in the underrated Jack Reacher movies as well as a pair of classic sci-fi thrillers. Both 2013’s Oblivion and 2014’s Edge of Tomorrow offered an inventive new spin on familiar sci-fi genre tropes, but sadly, Cruise hasn’t revisited their shared genre since.

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Tom Cruise looking back on a battlefield in the Edge of Tomorrow trailer.

Emily Blunt as Sergeant Rita Vrataski conversing with Major William Cage about their dismal situation in 2014's Edge of Tomorrow

I thought 2014 would start a sci-fi era for the actor since Edge of Tomorrow was a big hit for Cruise ten years ago. Directed by Road House 2024 helmer Doug Liman, Edge of Tomorrow is a self-aware sci-fi thriller that sees Cruise star as a PR man thrust into a violent battle between aliens and humanity. The twist is that Cruise’s cowardly antihero is repeatedly killed and revived through a time loop, thus allowing Emily Blunt’s sergeant to whip him into shape. It’s hard to keep track of just how many times Edge of Tomorrow’s Tom Cruise dies.

However, this is all part of Edge of Tomorrow’s unique appeal. The veteran blockbuster star plays against type as a slick-talking PR man who has almost no conflict experience and no interest in gaining any. It’s fascinating and fun to see Cruise play against type while also leaning into the sleaziness and moral ambiguity he explored in Magnolia and Eyes Wide Shut. Edge of Tomorrow earned largely positive reviews, with critics responding positively to its playful sense of humor, Blunt and Brendan Gleeson’s supporting roles, and the fast-paced, inventive action. Despite this, I’m still waiting for Cruise’s next sci-fi movie.

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Oblivion, Edge of Tomorrow, And War of the Worlds Were All Huge Hits

Tom Cruise as John Anderton holding a gun in Minority Report

Although Edge of Tomorrow was a box office success, this was hardly the first time that Cruise enjoyed a hit in the sci-fi genre. Tom Cruise’s sci-fi movies with Steven Spielberg, Minority Report and War of the Worlds, earned stellar reviews and a combined $958 million at the box office. While 2013’s Oblivion wasn’t as acclaimed, the collaboration between Cruise and director Joseph Kosinski did earn over $280 million upon release. Kosinski and Cruise went on to work to break box office records with Top Gun: Maverick. Unfortunately, my wait for Tom Cruise’s next sci-fi movie continues despite their success.