He has the looks of a matinee idol, can perform convincingly in any genre, loves to do his own stunts, and oh my god, he can run fast!
No I'm not talking about Tom Cruise – I'm talking about Glen Powell.
In an era when real movie stars are becoming an endangered species, Powell proves that they can and do still exist. And he is trained by one of the best.
Although Powell landed his first acting role more than two decades ago, he went from relative obscurity to becoming Hollywood's latest It actor after starring alongside Cruise as Lt. Jake “The Executioner” Seresin in the 2022 blockbuster.Top Shot: Maverick.”
Soon after, he cemented his status as a sex symbol by starring in the title role. Sydney Sweeney in the 2023 rom-com Anyone But You which brought in over $220 million in theaters worldwide and helped revive the rom-com genre at the box office. Then there was a blockbuster and a TV series (“Twisters” 2024. and Hulu's Chad Powers, respectively), proving that Powell can handle projects on both the big and small screen.
Glen Powell in The Running Man. Paramount Pictures
But if Powell wants to rise to the level of superstar Tom Cruise, he'll first have to make his boldest move: becoming the face of a remake of the film that first starred one of the biggest actors of the 1980s: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
If anyone believes Powell can pull it off, it's Edgar Wright, who directed him in his new film “The Running Man,” which hits theaters Friday. He said he caught Powell at the perfect time to play Schwarzenegger's original role of Ben Richards, a man who competes on the titular lucrative but deadly game show in hopes of using the prize money to lift him and his family out of poverty.
“The studio had a list of people that we would greenlight for this movie,” Wright told Business Insider. “Glen was the only person I thought, 'This is our guy.'
Despite his rising status in Hollywood, Wright said Powell's easy appeal made him suitable for the role.
“In my opinion, he can still play an everyman,” Wright said. “So when I saw Glen’s name on the list, I was really excited.”
Frankly, that everyman quality will soon be harder to come by, especially once The Running Man hits theaters. Powell is magnetic and is in almost every frame, not to mention he does a lot of his own stunts (sounds like anyone else we know?).
“He wanted to do as much as possible on camera, and I know he learned that from Tom,” Wright said of Powell's stunt work in the film. “I think Tom was probably the first phone call he made when he got the job. Well, I know he did it. [call him] because he was asking for advice on how to do his own stunts and run.”
Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible: Final Reckoning. Paramount Pictures
Powell may have adopted Cruise's tricks, but he followed his recipe for stardom more shrewdly in other ways. He hasn't played a superhero (yet), preferring to focus on projects where the biggest known involvement is himself or other actors, rather than fictional characters. Like DiCaprio And Timothee Chalamet he also didn't join a lame franchise (something Cruise has completed work on Mission: Impossible. although he may have succeeded in making this series more about his personality than the source material). He kicks ass and proves that he can become a bankable star based on the strength of his personal brand alone.
There are rumors in Hollywood that executives aren't getting enough. One studio executive I spoke to earlier this year, who worked with Cruise for years, couldn't stop raving about Powell.
Powell clearly excels at this social game within a business. Not only will this keep him employed, but it will catapult him to a higher level of movie stardom – as long as his performances continue to back it up.
Powell said that no one will ever replace Tom Cruise. But the reality is that Cruise is 63 years old and can't hang on to a plane for long. I'm not saying Powell should do it exactly like Cruise, but at a time when Hollywood is desperately looking for new superstars, maybe using Cruise's path to create your own isn't such a bad idea.
“The Running Man” hits theaters Friday.
