Tom Cruise reportedly set to bring back Tropic Thunder character & star in new musical

Eleni Thomas
Tom Cruise in Top Gun Maverick

Tom Cruise has a jammed-packed schedule planned for the coming years, with reports suggesting the actor has three projects in the works with Mission Impossible 8 director Christopher Mcquarrie, one of which hints at a return of his now iconic Tropic Thunder character, Les Grossman.

As first reported by Deadline, Tom Cruise appears to be planning multiple projects with producer Christopher Mcquarrie, all of which seem to be drastically different films. The first of the three appears to be leaning into Cruise’s expertise and will be an original action film that has the potential to be turned into a franchise.

The second will be a brand new musical that will include singing and dancing. The last musical Cruise starred in was the 2012 film Rock of Ages. The film was met with mixed to negative reviews so this upcoming musical could be Cruise’s opportunity to silence the naysayers and show off his theatrical skills.

Lastly, Deadline also reported that Cruise and Mcquarrie have been chatting about bringing back Les Grossman, the character Tom Cruise played in Tropic Thunder. While his stint in the role was only a cameo, Cruise and Mcquarrie could be looking to bring the character to life once again in a feature-length film.

Tom Cruise Tropic Thunder Les Grossman pic
Tom Cruise’s appearance in Tropic Thunder is still considered one of the best movie cameos of all time

Currently, Cruise is in the process of wrapping up filming and production for Mission Impossible 8. The eighth installment in the now iconic Mission Impossible franchise is hotly anticipated. The likes of Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Vanessa Kirby will all be returning for the film. The film will also be introducing Captain Carter herself, Hayley Atwell, to the Mission Impossible universe.

His latest film, Top Gun: Maverick, has been met with almost universal praise. The film has been a smash hit at the box office and has just surpassed the Titanic’s domestic box office sales.

This unprecedented success has since made the sequel Cruise’s most successful film to date. Recently, director Quentin Tarantino was discussing his love for Top Gun: Maverick, even labeling the film as “fantastic.” 

For all the latest Tom Cruise news as well as other TV and movie updates, check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.

About The Author

Eleni is a Melbourne-based journalist. Having completed her Bachelor's in communication (Journalism) at RMIT University, Eleni is now a Senior Writer for the Dexerto Australia team. A big Nintendo fan (with a Triforce tattoo to prove it) and a lover of the zombie genre, Eleni covers gaming, entertainment as well as TV and movies for the site. She is also passionate about covering Queer and female representation. Contact Eleni at eleni.thomas@dexerto.com