How Tom Cruise, Pushing 60, Survived The End Of The Star Era

Tom Cruise managed to recover and thrive by presenting himself as something like a real-life superhero. Tom Cruise jets into Cannes on Wednesday for the first time in 30 years to launch “Top Gun: Maverick”, and much has changed in the film industry since his last visit — except his continued box office power. That kind of longevity is a rare thing in Hollywood where superhero franchises have become far more financially important to studios than individual actors and actresses. When Cruise was last in Cannes for the premiere of the ill-fated “Far and Away” with his then-wife Nicole Kidman, he was just one among many in the Hollywood star system. It was 1992 and the likes of Kevin Costner, Mel Gibson and Bruce Willis ruled the roost — all names that have since faded.

“Cruise is unusual as someone who has managed to retain that commercial weight even as the studios have become dominated by superhero franchise films,” said Paul McDonald, professor of media industries at King’s College London. “And it’s particularly remarkable given that he’s going to be 60 this year.” According to analysis site The Numbers, Cruise’s 39 films as lead actor have pulled in just shy of $8.5 billion (8 billion euros) worldwide.

“Top Gun: Maverick” could add as much as $390 million from the US alone, according to Box Office Pro. And with gushing reviews from critics, it looks set to cement his status as, in the words of IndieWire, “the last Hollywood movie star of his kind — short as ever but still larger-than-life in an age where most famous actors are only as big as their action figures.”

Cruise’s continued success looked far from certain in the early 2000s when his ties to the controversial Church of Scientology — and the infamous time he leapt around on Oprah Winfrey’s couch professing his love for Katie Holmes — threatened to derail his career. The Hollywood machine was also changing, with stars like Cruise becoming less important than superhero brands. “Batman is a great example of the shift that happened around 2000 when franchise films took over. For half the film or more he’s covered with a mask — people don’t hugely care who’s in there, whether it’s Robert Pattinson or Ben Affleck or anyone else,” said McDonald.