Over the course of his decades-long career, Tom Cruise has lent his talents to a variety of genres, but sci-fi is arguably one of the ones he’s most associated with. In the 2000s, he teamed up with none other than Steven Spielberg for a pair of hits — Minority Report and War of the Worlds — and then later teamed up with his future Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski for the underrated Oblivion. As strong as those films are, they aren’t the best work Cruise has done in the sci-fi realm. That honor belongs to one of the actor’s collaborations with director Doug Liman — one that should have kickstarted a franchise.
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On June 6, 2014, Edge of Tomorrow premiered in theaters. Based on the Japanese light novel All You Need Is Kill, the film stars Cruise as William Cage, a public affairs officer who’s unwillingly thrown into active duty against an invading alien force known as the Mimics. Upon dying in combat, Cage discovers that through his contact with the Mimics, he’s gained the ability relive the same day over and over again. Teaming up with star soldier Rita Vrataski, the two devise a plan to put an end to the threat.
Why Edge of Tomorrow Is a Great Sci-Fi Movie
Edge of Tomorrow features several well-worn elements; the elevator pitch is essentially “Aliens meets Groundhog Day,” pitting humanity against yet another extra-terrestrial army. What makes Edge of Tomorrow stand out is that it finds a unique way to blend these aspects together. At the forefront is Cruise, who plays against type here. On the surface, Cruise portraying a war hero fighting back against aliens seems par for the course, but William Cage is a different type of character. He’s cowardly, initially running away from active combat. Much of the satisfaction in Edge of Tomorrow comes from watching Cage’s arc unfold, as he transforms into a courageous, fearless soldier.
Of course, Edge of Tomorrow wouldn’t work nearly as well as it does without Emily Blunt, whose Rita instantly became a new sci-fi cinema legend. Following the footsteps of Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hamilton before her, Blunt more than earns her genre action bona fides by crafting a dedicated, no-nonsense heroine who immediately commands the audience’s attention. She has great chemistry with Cruise, and the dynamic between Rita and Cage is both poignant and entertaining. It’s fun to watch Rita show Cage the ropes as he puts in the work to become stronger. The late great Bill Paxton is also a standout as Master Sergeant Farrell, Cage’s commanding officer who’s the leader of J-Squad.
Any movie would benefit from strong performances across the board, but what makes Edge of Tomorrow click is how it maximizes the potential of its high concept. It’s very smart about the way it handles the Groundhog Day elements, ironically ensuring they don’t become repetitive. Not only are they a source of deliciously dark comedy (watching Cage die repeatedly is quite funny), they’re an integral component of the story that ties directly into Cage’s arc (much like how the time loop is used in the actual Groundhog Day). Cage becomes stronger and more capable through the repetition and trial and error, learning from his mistakes with each attempt. Edge of Tomorrow is cleverly reminiscent of video games in this sense, which makes the narrative all the more relatable. Anyone who’s picked up a controller understands the feeling of frustration that comes with dying again, but finally emerging victorious is a cathartic experience.
The other thing that makes Edge of Tomorrow so great is that it never lets up. The stakes are always high, beyond the generic surface level of Earth being under attack by aliens. Initially, the drama comes from whether or not Cage is actually cut out for this mission; because he’s the one with the power to reset the day, he’s the best option to take down the Mimics, but it takes a while for him to find his groove. And while the third-act twist of Cage losing the repetition ability is somewhat predictable, it raises the stakes even further. There’s no “get out of jail free” card to play if the mission goes sideways, and at this point, viewers have become so invested in the characters, they want to see them live. Through all the well-crafted action and spectacle, Edge of Tomorrow never loses sight that it’s about the characters first and foremost, which makes it special.
Will Edge of Tomorrow 2 Ever Happen?
The combination of Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, and sci-fi action featuring memorable aliens sounds like a recipe for a new blockbuster franchise. Unfortunately, Edge of Tomorrow has remained a standalone work for over a decade. Despite earning widespread acclaim for being a fun and creative genre picture, Edge of Tomorrow underwhelmed at the box office. It earned $381 million worldwide against a $178 million production budget, which is partially why a sequel hasn’t come to fruition yet. Though Edge of Tomorrow has earned a large and passionate following in the years since it came out, studio executives might be unsure if a follow-up is worth the investment from a box office perspective.
Scheduling has been another hurdle Edge of Tomorrow 2 has struggled to clear. The principal players of the first film — Cruise, Blunt, Liman — have expressed interest in making a sequel. They just haven’t found the time. Following Edge of Tomorrow, Cruise kept himself extremely busy making the last for Mission: Impossible movies, Top Gun: Maverick, and other “smaller” projects (like his underrated Liman collaboration American Made). Blunt’s starred in several high-profile movies of her own, including Mary Poppins Returns, the Quiet Place series, and Oppenheimer. Edge of Tomorrow 2 can’t happen with either of the two main actors, so unless Cruise and Blunt finally have free time on their hands, the sequel may never happen.
Edge of Tomorrow 2 has been bandied about for years, but the latest update on that front was hardly encouraging. In May, it was reported that the film “is not in active development.” While there’s still hope that it could be made eventually, it does not appear to be a priority for Warner Bros. at this point in time. The studio, of course, is in the process of being acquired by Paramount. Should that merger go through, the fate of Edge of Tomorrow 2 will be determined by the new bosses. Cruise’s personal history with Paramount could help there, but it remains to be seen if executives will give the green light to the sequel.
An argument can be made that Edge of Tomorrow works perfectly as a self-contained story. By the time the credits roll, the threat of the Mimics has been eliminated and there aren’t any dangling threads. Still, it would be nice to see Liman and Co. finally get an opportunity to build on their earlier success. In a way, the long gap could benefit Edge of Tomorrow 2. Blunt previously praised a draft of the script, but said it only would have made sense if they shot it years ago. If Edge of Tomorrow 2 gets off the ground again, the narrative will need to be revised to reflect Cruise and Blunt’s ages. Perhaps Cage and Rita could move to more of a mentorship role, using their experience to train newcomers as they take on a new alien army. That change in dynamic would be a fun way to keep things feeling fresh, presenting the two leads with a new set of challenges.
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