He is 63. Honestly, let that sink in for a second. Most people at 63 are eyeing retirement or at least slowing down the pace. Not Tom Cruise. If you have been following the news around tom cruise new movies, you know the man is basically running a marathon while everyone else is taking a nap.
But something is shifting. We are moving past the era where every single Cruise project involves him hanging off a plane or driving a motorcycle into an abyss. Don't get me wrong—the stunts are still there. But the slate for 2026 and beyond looks... different. It looks smarter. It looks like a man who is finally ready to remind the world that before he was a human daredevil, he was a three-time Oscar nominee.
The Iñárritu Experiment: Digger (2026)
This is the big one. This is the project that everyone in Hollywood is whispering about because it feels like a glitch in the simulation. Cruise has teamed up with Alejandro G. Iñárritu—the guy who gave us The Revenant and Birdman—for a film titled Digger.
Scheduled for release on October 2, 2026, this isn't a Mission: Impossible clone. Far from it. Jesse Plemons, who stars alongside Cruise, recently described the script as a "modern-day Dr. Strangelove." It’s a black comedy. It’s tragic. It’s weird.
According to early plot leaks, Cruise plays the "most powerful man in the world" (apt casting, right?) who causes a global catastrophe and then spends the rest of the movie trying to convince everyone he's the savior who can fix it.
What makes Digger stand out:
- The Visuals: It was shot on 35mm film using VistaVision. That’s a high-fidelity format that hasn't seen mainstream use like this in ages.
- The Cast: We’re talking Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall), John Goodman, and Sophie Wilde. This is an "actor's movie."
- The Tone: Forget the stoic Ethan Hunt. We’re likely getting the manic, high-energy Cruise we haven't seen since Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder.
The production wasn't without its hiccups, though. Filming was briefly halted in March 2025 when John Goodman suffered a hip injury, but they wrapped in May 2025 under the working title Judy. Warner Bros. is reportedly betting $125 million on this being Cruise's big play for a Best Actor trophy.
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The Fallout of The Final Reckoning
We have to talk about Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. It hit theaters in May 2025, and while the box office was solid—hovering around $600 million—it didn't quite hit the billion-dollar highs the studio hoped for.
Director Christopher McQuarrie has been cagey about whether this is the literal "end." He told Empire that he views it as a "satisfying conclusion to a 30-year story arc," but we know how this goes. In Hollywood, "final" usually just means "until we figure out the next script."
For now, Ethan Hunt is on ice. Cruise is pivoting. The deal he signed with Warner Bros. in early 2024 is the reason why. He’s looking for "auteur-driven" projects. He’s looking to be a movie star in the classic sense, not just an action figure.
What Happened to the Space Movie?
You remember the SpaceX project? The one where he was supposed to actually go to the International Space Station?
Basically, it's dead. Or at least, it’s in a coma. Reports from late 2025 suggest the project has been "quietly scrapped." Between the astronomical budget and the logistical nightmare of filming in zero gravity, the momentum just evaporated. Director Doug Liman recently admitted there are "no concrete plans" for it to take off.
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It turns out that even for Tom Cruise, some ceilings are actually made of glass. Or, in this case, vacuum-sealed titanium.
The "Legacy" Sequel Burn: Top Gun 3 and Days of Thunder 2
If you're waiting for Top Gun 3, grab a snack. It’s going to be a while.
Joseph Kosinski, the director who made Maverick such a masterpiece, is currently tied up with a Miami Vice reboot and an Apple F1 project. Realistically, we aren't seeing Maverick back in a cockpit until 2028 or 2029.
However, the "legacy sequel" bug has bitten Cruise again. He’s been talking to Jerry Bruckheimer about Days of Thunder 2.
"Tom has told me it’s gonna happen," said NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon.
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The success of Brad Pitt's racing movies proved there is a massive appetite for high-speed cinema. Cruise still owns a 1990 Chevy Lumina from the original set; the man's heart is clearly still on the track. This would be a Warner Bros. project, further solidifying his move away from his long-time home at Paramount.
Broadsword: The WWII Epic
Then there is Broadsword. This is another McQuarrie collaboration, but it’s a grit-and-dirt World War II story. Cruise plays a Marine Sergeant who is the sole survivor of a crash landing in Nazi-occupied France.
It’s being described as a psychological thriller as much as a war movie. It’s "man on a mission" stuff, but with a much higher stakes-to-budget ratio than the Mission movies. Expect this one to start making serious noise in late 2026.
Actionable Insights for the Cruise Fan
If you want to stay ahead of the curve on tom cruise new movies, stop looking for M:I-9 updates and start looking at the prestige drama circuit.
- Mark October 2, 2026, on your calendar. That is the Digger release date. It will be the most talked-about film of that autumn.
- Follow the Warner Bros. Slate. Cruise has a literal office on the WB lot now. His future isn't with Paramount; it’s with the studio that let him make Eyes Wide Shut and Magnolia.
- Watch for the Iñárritu Teaser. A one-minute teaser for Digger was released in December 2025. It shows Cruise's silhouette dancing with a shovel. It’s weird, it’s rhythmic, and it’s a total departure from his recent work.
The "stuntman" era of Tom Cruise is evolving into the "Auteur" era. He’s already proven he can jump off a cliff. Now, he wants to prove he can still break your heart with a monologue.
Keep an eye on the trades for Broadsword casting news throughout this year—that will be the next big production to hit the floor.