Tom Cruise had hisJack Reacherreplacement ready to go in 2017, but circumstances surrounding the film’s plot prevented this from happening. Over the course of his career,Cruise has become a box-office draw, mainly with action films likeTop Gun: MaverickandtheMission: Impossiblefranchise. Though Cruise’s career has seen him take on a variety of genres,he remains a consistently reliable action star.
Cruise has garnered such a reputation in the action genre through his portrayal of likable protagonistsand his commitment to the physicality required of such roles.Jack Reacher’s eponymous protagonist is another one of these characters. While they aren’t among Cruise’s highest-grossing projects,theJack Reacherfilmswere generally well-received at the time of their release.
Cruise’s appearance isn’t what many had imagined for the ex-military policeman created by author Lee Child, butthe thrills throughout the film are infectious, and there’s no questioning the movies' ability to entertain. Following the short-lived film series, the ideal franchise replacement for Cruise was released, but plans for such an expansion never came to fruition.
Tom Cruise’s American Made Could Have Been His Jack Reacher Replacement Franchise
Cruise Excels In The High-Stakes, Action-Packed Plot Of American Made
In 2017, Cruise ledAmerican Made, which is based on real events and combines high-stakes action with criminal scheming and a bit of dark comedy.American Madeis inspired by the life of former TWA pilot Barry Seal. After Barry is caught smuggling drugs for the Medellín Cartel, he avoids jail time by making a deal with the DEA, working as their informant.
In the action genre, Cruise is most known for playing a charismatic hero of sorts, butAmerican Madesees him in a different light as an action star. The plot centered arounddrug smuggling and shady government operations sets up a grittier story for Cruise to lead,andAmerican Made, while being packed full of action, isn’t as reliant onCruise’s death-defying stuntsto draw audiences in.
The high-stakes plot ofAmerican Madealso sets the foundation for several more adventures to be explored in succeeding movies.
The high-stakes plot ofAmerican Madealso sets the foundation for several more adventures to be explored in succeeding movies. Barry is a gifted individual who, as made clear inAmerican Made, is of great use to the DEA and CIA. As a result,Barry’s dodgy relationship with the agencies could have been further fleshedout in sequel films.
The threat of the Medellín Cartel that looms throughoutAmerican Madehad the potential to be the focus of a sequel, increasing the tension and stakes for Barry, while inevitably providing audiences with more gripping action sequences. Barry, both the real-life man and the dramatized character portrayed by Cruise, is a fascinating figure that ultimately never had a chance to be further explored.
Why American Made Couldn’t Become An Ongoing Franchise For Tom Cruise
American Made’s attachment to real-life events produced a stranger-than-fiction plot that entertained audiences, but also limited the film from expanding into a franchise. Like mostfilms based on true stories,American Madetakes a handful of creative liberties, altering details about Barry’s life and creating entirely fictional characters and plot points for the sake of entertainment.
Still,American Made’s endingand the fate of Barry Seal remain true to what happened in real life. Due to Barry’s involvement with the cartel, the character suspects they will retaliate at any moment, and sure enough, they do.Barry’s death ultimately hinders the possibility ofAmerican Madegrowing into a series of filmslikeJack Reacher, which is especially unfortunate considering critics' and audiences' positive response to the former.
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American Madeisn’t without its missteps, but it’s hard to argue against the film’s entertainment valueor the abundance of untapped potential in its premise that would have made for a compelling franchise. In comparison toJack Reacher, Cruise is much more suitable to portray someone like Barry, and the absurd details of his real life give room forAmerican Madeto have more fun —somethingtheJack Reachermovies failed to do.
Another Jack Reacher Replacement Fell Through For Tom Cruise
The Mummy Similarly Set Up Cruise For Another Fun Action Franchise
After the series ofJack Reacherfilms wrapped up, Cruise had another potential franchise waiting for him.The Mummyfranchise, previously led by Brendan Fraser, was rebooted in 2017, with Cruise acting as the lead this time.The Mummywas intended to be the start of the Dark Universe, a series of connected movies based on the Universal Monsters characters.
However,The Mummywound up being a failureand received negative reviews from critics, which put an end to any plans for the upcoming Dark Universe. Being a fun, action-adventure flick,The Mummy, by all means, should have been the perfect film for Cruise to shine as the charismatic action staraudiences know him to be.
Instead,The Mummymakes little to no use of Cruise’s talentor pull in the genre. Indeed,The Mummyas a whole fails to come together neatly, with neither Cruise nor the film’s supporting cast being able to saveThe Mummyfrom its poor character development and muddled storytelling.The Mummy’s failures andAmerican Made’s narrative limitations prevented Cruise from ever replacing the short-livedJack Reacherseries.
Jack Reacher
Cast
After a mass shooting takes place, homicide investigator Jack Reacher digs into the case to hunt down the sniper who committed the heinous act. Jack Reacher stars Tom Cruise as the titular character and was directed by Christopher McQuarrie. The success of the 2012 film led to a sequel, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, releasing in 2016.
American Made
Based on the life of Baton Rouge pilot Barry Seal, American Made centers on Barry, who works as a drug runner for the CIA in an operation known as the Iran-Contra Affair. The film is based in the ’80s and stars Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sara Wright, and Jesse Plemons.
