Tom Cruise may be best known for his roles in heart-pounding action films like Top Gun, Minority Report, and the Mission: Impossible franchise, but the A-list star has also built a legacy in science fiction over the decades. Cruise made his on-screen acting debut in the 1981 romance flick Endless Love. After subsequent small parts in 1981’s Taps, 1982’s Losin’ It, and 1983’s The Outsiders, Cruise landed his first lead role in 1983’s Risky Business, followed by another starring role in All the Right Moves the same year. Since breaking out in the film industry, Cruise has risen to the status of one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces. The performer earned the reputation as the biggest action star of the past generation, but he has also taken his talents to the realm of science fiction.
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In addition to his action epics, Cruise’s filmography boasts several sci-fi titles that are well worth a watch. These three movies have cemented Cruise as the sci-fi legend he is today.
War of the Worlds
Steven Spielberg’s 2005 film adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel War of the Worlds starred Cruise as its main character. The story chronicles a catastrophic alien invasion through the eyes of Ray Ferrier and his family. Dakota Fanning portrayed Ray’s young daughter Rachel, Justin Chatwin played his son Robbie, and Miranda Otto played Ray’s ex-wife Mary Ann. Spielberg’s sci-fi epic brought in over $600 million worldwide, making it the fourth-highest-grossing movie of 2005. It also picked up a trio of Oscar nominations.
War of the Worlds marked Cruise’s first major role in a sci-fi movie. His lead performance made the film the most popular adaptation of the book, proving Cruise’s prowess as a figurehead of sci-fi. Furthermore, Cruise’s ability to make the audience care about a character trying to protect himself and his loved ones life-threatening conditions is undoubtedly special. Of course, Cruise was already familiar with filming action scenes prior to appearing in War of the Worlds, so his prowess in some of the movie’s big action set pieces comes as no surprise.
Oblivion
Cruise’s next big sci-fi project after War of the Worlds was 2013’s Oblivion. The film was directed by Joseph Kosinski, with whom Cruise would collaborate again on 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick. Based on Kosinski’s unpublished graphic novel, Oblivion starred Cruise as Jack Harper, one of the lone drone repairmen stationed on a desolate Earth, decades after war with alien invaders, in the year 2077. Cruise’s character uncovers enormous secrets when he happens upon a wrecked spacecraft containing a mysterious woman.
Cruise’s performance in Oblivion further established him as a first-rate lead actor in the sci-fi genre. The Collateral star fit perfectly in the apocalyptic backdrop and once again proved his ability to balance pivotal action sequences with quieter, dramatic moments. Oblivion’s romantic subplot featuring Cruise’s Jack and Olga Kurylenko’s Julia was one of the best parts of the film, and both actors sold their characters’ connection well.
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Edge of Tomorrow
The 2014 sci-fi action film Edge of Tomorrow remains one of the genre’s most unique story concepts in recent memory. Set in the midst of a war between human and extraterrestrial forces, The Doug Liman-helmed film starred Cruise as Major Bill Cage opposite Emily Blunt’s Sergeant Rita Vrataski. Cruise portrayed a soldier who can immediately respawn back to life when he falls in combat as he repeatedly tries to eliminate the invaders’ power source with the help of Blunt’s character.
Edge of Tomorrow‘s video game-like premise makes it a unique and entertaining watch for fans of sci-fi. Cruise performed a variety of impressive stunts in Edge of Tomorrow as his character weaves through the battlefield time and again, which perfectly conveyed the movie’s edge-of-your-seat suspense. Moreover, Cruise’s performance of Cage’s development from a cowardly and inexperienced soldier to a determined fighter stopping at nothing to achieve his goal was particularly memorable. Considering that Cruise typically plays courageous characters who run toward danger without hesitation, his role in Edge of Tomorrow was a breath of fresh air and evidences the star’s range.
Talks of an Edge of Tomorrow sequel have materialized recently, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Looking ahead to Cruise’s future sci-fi projects, the star is set to lead the first movie filmed in outer space, to be directed by Doug Liman. The untitled project is currently in development, and will also bestow Cruise with the honor of becoming the first civilian to perform a spacewalk. So, fans of both Cruise’s work and science fiction movies have something historic to look forward to.
Viewers can watch War of the Worlds right now on Paramount+ and MGM+. Oblivion is currently streaming on Netflix, and Edge of Tomorrow is available to stream on Prime Video.
