DC Heroes (& Villains) Tom Cruise Could Play

There is tremendous interest in Tom Cruise joining the DC movie universe – but who could he play? Cruise is one of the biggest movie stars on the planet and remains one of the most bankable. Remarkably, he has achieved this level of fame and fortune throughout his nearly-40 years in Hollywood without starring in a comic book superhero franchise. But Cruise may not be a holdout forever and the DC universe looks like the best franchise for him to join.

Over a decade ago, Cruise was in the mix when Marvel Studios was casting the role of Iron Man. Today, the idea of Tom Cruise making a DC film is something the actor has publicly stated he would entertain “if it’s something the fans want.” Many fans definitely do want to see Cruise take on a DC superhero franchise at last, and that also includes his Mission: Impossible – Fallout castmate Henry Cavill, who also plays Superman. The superstar actor/producer is already an established action hero and DC Films would absolutely benefit from his involvement. He would just need the right character to sink his teeth into.

Related: Casting The Legion of Doom For the DCEU

While some of the biggest DC heroes and villains have already been cast, there are still many more characters in the universe and Cruise is actually an excellent fit for a number of them. Here are eight DC characters, some obvious and some offbeat but potentially fascinating, that Tom Cruise could possibly play if he joined the Worlds of DC.

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Green Lantern Hal Jordan

Tom Cruise’s name has been floated as a possibility for Hal Jordan for a while, and it’s easy to see why of all of DC’s core superheroes, the role as the most well-known Green Lantern makes sense for the actor. Before donning the Power Ring, Jordan was a hotshot fighter pilot with daddy issues – not unlike one of the actor’s most famous roles, Maverick in Top Gun, which Cruise is reprising in the sequel. Jordan is cocky but heroic, qualities Cruise has built his career around, especially in his earlier years.

Per recent rumors, were Cruise were cast as Jordan in the long-awaited Green Lantern Corps, which is currently in development, it would be as an older Green Lantern who is said to be mentoring a young ring-slinging partner in a buddy-space-cop saga. After six films as Ethan Hunt, leader of the Impossible Mission Force, this type of role also falls within Cruise’s wheelhouse.

However, the Green Lantern Corps screenplay is still being written by Geoff Johns, and the former DC Chief Creative Officer promises his reboot will “re-invent” what fans know about Green Lantern, so it’s unclear what direction the film will take if cameras finally roll.

Related: Casting The Green Lantern Corps For The DCEU

The Atom (Ray Palmer)

The DC movie universe needs its version of Ant-Man and this could be an instance of Tom Cruise taking on a lesser-known DC hero but using his clout to build the Atom into a major star and key player in the franchise. By harnessing the power of a white dwarf star, genius physicist Ray Palmer can shrink to subatomic levels while maintaining his adult-sized strength level. While that sounds exactly like Ant-Man, Cruise could re-imagine the Ray Palmer character to be completely different from the loveable loser Paul Rudd plays in the MCU.

Ray Palmer is portrayed by Brandon Routh (a former big screen Superman) in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, but Routh also plays Palmer as an affable nerd. Cruise’s star power could turn the Atom into a true movie star and make him worthy of being in the Justice League. After starring in Oblivion and Edge of Tomorrow, Cruise is no stranger to science fiction and he could invent a new microscopic universe to explore as part of DC.

The Question (Vic Sage)

Cruise’s action hero status could be put to great use by portraying one of the DC Universe’s most interesting street-level superheroes: the Question. Created by the late Steve Ditko and written in a seminal run in the 1980s by Dennis O’Neil, Vic Sage is a crusading reporter, martial artist, and seeker of truth who dons a mask that makes him look like he has no face. Sage’s version of the character later mentored Gotham detective Renee Montoya, who later assumed the mantle of the Question. His popular Justice League Unlimited animated portrayal also cast the Question as a conspiracy-minded sleuth.

A feature film starring Cruise could have him portray Vic Sage while also training a young protege who is both female and gay. The actor’s recent turns as Jack Reacher proved he can believably portray a street-level action hero, while his role in The Last Samurai gave him grounding in the Question’s Eastern mysticism. Plus, in Mission: Impossible, Cruise is already accustomed to wearing masks and prosthetics so there’s no threat to his movie star ego by wearing a mask that completely obscures his face.

Page 2 of 2: DC Villains Tom Cruise Could Play

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