Glen Powell quickly addressed a massive rumor about his career involving Tom Cruise. He has starred in big hits like Twisters, Top Gun: Maverick, and Anyone But You. He also starred alongside Jonathan Majors in Devotion, based on Jesse Brown, the first Black aviator in U.S. Navy history. Powell addressed a report that Tom Cruise wanted him to be the front-runner for the Mission Impossible series. However, the actor debunked that report on the Pat McAfee show. The ESPN host called the Anyone But You star live during the show and denied the rumors head-on, albeit in a playful manner. Cruise and Powell starred together in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick.
Powell Denies Rumors of Replacing Cruise
The actor briefly addressed speculation that he’ll replace Cruise in the Mission Impossible franchise after the upcoming eighth film, set for a May 2025 release. “My mom would never let me do that,” he said, debunking the rumors. Powell shares a close relationship with his parents. The response prompted a heavy wave of laughter among McAfee and other hosts, generating a comedic atmosphere on the show. Jokingly, McAfee yelled that Powell was “lying” on the live phone call, which brought even more laughter.
McAfee called Powell on the Nov. 12 airing of The Pat McAfee Show and asked him about the Mission Impossible rumors. “We just wanted to call and say congratulations, brother,” McAfee said, seeming to be under the impression that the Twisters star would replace Cruise. However, Powell clarified that he will not replace Cruise for the Mission Impossible series, thus putting all the speculation to rest. The star is on set working on his upcoming film The Running Man, which is set to be out late next year.
Powell also said, playfully debunking the report, “That’s the worst gig in town; everybody knows that,” referring to how Cruise performs his stunts in the franchise. The Hollywood handle tweeted the report, which generated over a million views and over 40 million likes. It would be tempting to assume that the source would be true, considering Powell and Cruise’s close relationship. The information was sourced from Jeff Sneider, a film critic, who has his own newsletter, Theisneider, in which paid subscribers can see his work. Cruise hasn’t commented on the report, nor will he need to since Powell has already addressed it.
The ESPN host and Powell spoke about college football and said goodbye to each other. Powell was on the phone from the set of his upcoming film The Running Man. There has also been speculation that the eighth film could be Cruise’s last in the spy franchise. The teaser for the movie picks up where the 2023’s Dead Reckoning left off, and it sees Cruise doing amazing and dangerous stunts. Powell could not be live on camera because he was in full costume for his role. The conversation only lasted for a few minutes.
Powell is Currently Working on The Running Man
Edgar Wright’s remake of The Running Man started shooting recently, three years after it was first announced. Powell has already been spotted on set in the classic Battersea Power Station in London. The movie is a remake of the classic 1987 action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Powell was one of the main stars of the remake of Twisters, which drew praise from critics. The film continued to be a massive hit at the box office after its release in the summer. Additionally, Twisters received a lot of positive praise in its early first reactions from critics.
Powell looked the part for the movie, wearing a 1980s-style hoodie, a denim shirt, and a brown jacket for his lead role. The remake is based on Stephen King’s novel, which he wrote under the pen name Richard Bachman. The story is set in an apocalyptic future where the government controls the media, and Ben Richards (Powell) participates in a deadly game show. He will be hunted by professional killers coming after him for over 30 days. If he survives, he will win a cash prize to save his sick child and help his family.
Powell will star alongside William H. Macy, Jayme Lawson, Karl Glusman, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Daniel Ezra, Lee Pace, and Josh Brolin. Production resided over the London landmark with guards patrolling the film set. Nira Park, Wright, and Simon Kingberg will produce the film. The remake is a dystopian thriller film under the studio Paramount Pictures. There have been some interesting views on remakes and originals, which can be seen in this piece.
The original version was set between 2017 and 2019; there is no indication of the year the remake is currently set. Wright has been attached to the film since 2021. Wright is directing the feature and also co-wrote the script with Michael Bacall. Katy O’Brian, the rising actress who star power from Love Lies Bleeding, will join his Twisters co-star Powell. Paramount Pictures will release The Running Man next November. Based on the set photos, undoubtedly, the star will be on the run for the remake. Paul Michael Glaser directed the original film, which starred Jesse Ventura, Yaphet Kotto, María Conchita Alonso, Jim Brown,
Final Thoughts
Powell made it pretty clear, albeit in a hilarious manner, that he won’t take on Mission Impossible after Cruise. Thanks to McAfee, the star was able to put the rumor to rest. The trailer for The Final Reckoning seems to show a feeling of finality, but time will tell if this is the end for Ethan Hunt. Cruise is known for doing his stunts, showing that the role of Ethan Hunt is quite a heavy one to take over. Powell did not hesitate to reveal that his mother wouldn’t let him play the spy agent.
Given his quick response to McAfee, it would be difficult to believe he’s lying. If he is secretly hiding that the franchise will continue with him, then he’s an excellent actor. That’s saying a lot because Powell has been rising in star power since his Top Gun: Maverick role, but it is pretty definitive that he won’t replace Cruise. Sorry, everyone; it is pretty clear that Powell will not be the next Ethan Hunt. The rising star Powell will play Ben Richards in The Running Man, hitting theatres on Nov. 21, 2025.
