Tom Cruise and Tim Burton nearly worked together during the 1990s, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice had a role that the action star would have been perfect for. The Beetlejuice sequel is a major moment for Burton’s career, and reviving the beloved classic meant luring some significant stars to be part of the production. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice‘s cast includes the expected returns of Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara. It also includes Burton’s Wednesday star Jenna Ortega, frequent partner Danny DeVito, and notable first-time collaborators Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe – who surely beat out other stars to join the sequel.

Since Tim Burton tends to work with the same actors repeatedly and keep them in lead roles, it can sometimes be difficult for new A-list stars to break into his filmography. Beyond Keaton and other Tim Burton actors returning in Beetlejuice 2, the director has also worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest names on single occasions, like Amy Adams and Mark Wahlberg. Still, Tom Cruise has not broken through after turning down an earlier partnership. One of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice‘s new characters would’ve been perfect to get Tom Cruise in a Burton movie finally.

Tom Cruise Would’ve Been Perfect As Wolf Jackson In Beetlejuice 2

He Is A Legitimate Action Movie Star

There was never any indication that Tom Cruise would be involved in Beetlejuice 2, but the introduction of Wolf Jackson shows that maybe he should have been cast. Wolf Jackson is Willem Dafoe’s character in the sequel. He is a ghost detective in the afterlife who was an action movie star in his previous life. Willem Dafoe does a great job of playing Wolf Jackson and blending into Beetlejuice 2‘s tone and Burton’s style. However, the actor is not known as an action movie star, making that part of his backstory feel a bit less believable.

Cruise is now known for his action star prowess and the great lengths he is willing to push himself to do new, daring stunts

That is where Tom Cruise playing Wolf Jackson could’ve benefited Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Cruise is now known for his action star prowess and the great lengths he is willing to push himself to do new, daring stunts and entertain audiences. It would be easy to imagine the man responsible for headlining major action films like Mission: Impossible, Edge of Tomorrow, Jack Reacher, Collateral, and War of the Worlds as a former action movie star who now serves a role in the afterlife as a ghost detective. There’s no doubt that Tom Cruise could have played a believable Wolf Jackson.

Beetlejuice 2 Could Have Made Up For Tom Cruise Not Playing Edward Scissorhands

Cruise Was Considered For The Lead Role

Tom Cruise’s casting in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice would have allowed him and Burton to work together decades after they last tried. When Burton was looking to make Edward Scissorhands in the late 1980s, Johnny Depp’s casting in the lead role was not guaranteed. The director seriously considered casting Tom Cruise as the actor to play Edward Scissorhands, with Michael Jackson and Tom Hanks also in the running at various points, according to Depp (via People). The Edward Scissorhands star said Cruise “was not far away from actually playing Edward Scissorhands — true story.”

Tom Cruise has not openly discussed his casting consideration for Edward Scissorhands

As for why Tom Cruise was not cast in Edward Scissorhands, the partnership with Tim Burton didn’t work out because the two creatives did not see eye to eye on various details. These differences reportedly range from Cruise wanting a happier ending to questioning logistics like how Edward Scissorhands would go to the bathroom. Scheduling may have also become an issue, as Cruise made Days of Thunder when Edward Scissorhands was in production. Whether Cruise rejected the role or Burton turned him down is unconfirmed, but the casting did not happen either way.

Beetlejuice 2’s Wolf Jackson Still Made A Lost Tim Burton Collaboration Happen

Willem Dafoe Also Lost A Previous Tim Burton Movie

Tom Cruise might not have landed the role of Wolf Jackson in Beetlejuice 2, but Burton casting Willem Dafoe still had a similar payoff. The actor was not among those considered to play Edward Scissorhands, but Dafoe missed out on playing Joker in 1989’s Batman. Unfortunately, he was never formally offered the iconic DC villain role, which famously went to Jack Nicholson instead. Many spent the years that followed dreaming about how great Dafoe could be in one of Burton’s movies, and yet the two never found a chance to work together before Beetlejuice 2.

Now, Willem Dafoe has been in a Tim Burton movie thanks to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. He is terrific as Wolf Jackson, bringing a wry sense of humor to the character. This could lead to more collaborations between Dafoe and Burton in the future. And while the Wolf Jackson actor can now be crossed off the list of actors who have yet to work with the director, Tom Cruise remains. Perhaps the two will finally find a chance to make a movie together in the wake of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice‘s success.