Tom Cruise is known as one of Hollywood’s greatest movie stars, and there are many directors he should work with now that he’s returning to non-action movies. Tom Cruise began his career in the 1980s, and while he had action movie hits like Top Gun, he wasn’t as synonymous with the genre as he is today with franchises like Mission: Impossible. Cruise is often wrongly accused of only playing one character, himself, though earlier works like Magnolia and Born on the Fourth of July proved he’s as capable as any other talent in the industry at delivering a moving performance.

Early in his career, the actor worked alongside directors like Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, and Paul Thomas Anderson, resulting in some of the best Tom Cruise movies. In the 21st century, Cruise’s roles have mainly consisted of action leads, making a Variety article that discussed his ambitions to “return to working with auteurs” all the more exciting. He’s signed a significant deal with Warner Bros., where he’ll make movies for the foreseeable future. He’s already set to star in a film directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, and there are many other filmmakers to work with next, including some repeats.

10 Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino could be Tom Cruise’s best chance for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Tom Cruise has always seemed like a perfect fit for a Quentin Tarantino movie, as his reputation for being the “last movie star,” whose name alone could sell out a box office, is a perfect fit for Tarantino’s movie-making philosophy. Tarantino has a reputation for valuing the old-fashioned concept of a movie star, knowing the potential of performance, charisma, and excellent dialogue to make an entertaining film. He’s gotten the most out of almost every star he’s worked with, bringing Academy Awards to the likes of Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz.

The only catch with Tarantino is that he only has one remaining film, The Movie Critic, meaning Cruise’s time to work with the director is running out. The film’s lead is intended to be an actor in their 30s, so Cruise wouldn’t be the lead. Still, supporting performances have commonly been highlights in Tarantino’s filmography. Tom Cruise’s Interview with the Vampire co-star Brad Pitt is also set to appear in an unknown role. A supporting role in a Tarantino movie could land Cruise his first Oscar or at least critical acclaim for something incredibly unique and memorable.

9 David Fincher

A David Fincher-directed Tom Cruise-led crime thriller could be terrific for both of them.

From Brad Pitt to Ben Affleck to Robert Downey Jr., David Fincher has had some of the most prominent modern stars lend their talents to his films, which are perfectly suited to Cruise’s skill set. One of the classic male Hollywood star archetypes that Cruise hasn’t fulfilled is the noir detective character, and it’d be fascinating to see him in a Fincher-directed film like Se7en or Zodiac. David Fincher’s two recent movies haven’t been his best, and a Tom Cruise crime thriller team-up could be an exciting return to form on top of a box office hit.

8 Martin Scorsese

Scorsese and Cruise could team up for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Tom Cruise worked with Martin Scorsese very early in his career on The Color of Money, where he co-starred alongside Paul Newman. Despite being a great film, The Color of Money is off-beat for Scorsese, as it’s not his usual forte. With that in mind, imagining Cruise in a mafia film is difficult, though he could be perfect for an entertaining crime thriller like The Departed. Scorsese has a few projects in mind after Killers of the Flower Moon, and it would be amazing to see Tom Cruise appear alongside frequent Scorsese collaborators like Leonardo DiCaprio or Robert De Niro.

7 Paul Thomas Anderson

Magnolia is arguably Cruise’s best performance, making PTA a solid choice to collaborate with again.

Another director Tom Cruise has already worked with, Paul Thomas Anderson, elicited what was arguably the most emotionally nuanced performance Tom Cruise has had in his career for Magnolia. Magnolia is a magnificent film, and though he’s one in the ensemble, Tom Cruise stands out as the electric but despicable Frank T.J. Mackey. The director has already begun working on his next film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, but Paul Thomas Anderson has declared that he’s going to be making movies for a long time, meaning plenty of opportunities for a reunion.

6 Adam McKay

Tom Cruise could be hilarious in an Adam McKay ensemble.

Adam McKay’s recent films have had comedic elements, though they’ve begun to lead more into drama than his 2000s comedies like Anchorman. It’d be exciting to see Tom Cruise in either version. He’s proven he’s willing to sacrifice his star image for comedy in Tropic Thunder, and the actor certainly has some comedic chops he can work with. Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up is one of Netflix’s most-watched movies, and a film of a comparable ilk with Tom Cruise leading or playing a supporting character could be hugely popular.

5 Jordan Peele

If Tom Cruise does a horror movie, he has to do it with the best.

Jordan Peele has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most exciting horror directors, bending genre norms with comedic elements and thought-provoking social themes. If Tom Cruise wants to expand his filmography into new genres, horror is a great choice. Peele’s style suits him better than other contemporary horror filmmakers, as it’s harder to imagine him in the gothic aesthetic of someone like Robert Eggers or Ari Aster. Peele’s films have seen great starring performances, though Cruise could also be phenomenal in a supporting or villain role.

4 Christopher Nolan

Nolan and Cruise’s filmmaking philosophies align too closely for them not to work together.

Possibly the most obvious choice since Christopher Nolan and Tom Cruise stand for many of the same ideals regarding modern filmmaking, imagining the two paired together is still incredibly exciting. In the same sense that Cruise is one of the last movie stars who can pull an audience to the box office, Christopher Nolan is one of the few film directors getting audiences to theaters for original, non-franchise movies. When combined, the sky is the limit for them.

While the ideal route for a Christopher Nolan and Tom Cruise movie may be an action movie, given their reputations for immense action set pieces, practical effects, and absurdly challenging stunt work, there are other routes they could go. After Oppenheimer, Nolan has mentioned that he’d like to keep working on movies on a large scale, but that doesn’t mean they have to be action-packed. Oppenheimer was large in scale without action, so Cruise could always find his way into a Christopher Nolan-directed war epic, horror movie, or even a heist movie as some potential options.

3 Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola may seem like a strange choice for Tom Cruise, and that’s part of why it’s so fascinating. The director has made some unbelievable films over her nearly three-decade career, and though many have prominently featured female leads, they haven’t been without outstanding male roles. Bill Murray’s role in Lost in Translation or Stephen Dorff’s in Somewhere come to mind as subtle, emotionally driven performances that could show an entirely new side of Tom Cruise. It’s a strange mix, but it’s an intriguing one nonetheless.

2 Yorgos Lanthimos

Tom Cruise could be completely unhinged in a Yorgos Lanthimos film.

Another option that seems truly odd at first but could lead to something spectacular is Yorgos Lanthimos. Something apparent about Tom Cruise is that he’s a uniquely idiosyncratic person with occasionally unconventional quirks. With that in mind, channeling those quirks with one of the most distinctive modern cinematic voices is a fascinating choice. Seeing Cruise in an utterly unhinged performance may be unlikely, but it’s certainly fun to imagine.

1 Wes Anderson

Cruise joining a Wes Anderson ensemble could be brilliant.

When considering the word “auteur,” Asteroid City director Wes Anderson is frequently one of the first names to come to mind. Nobody has established a more familiar marquee aesthetic than Anderson, who’s also been known for casting half of the working actors in Hollywood for each of his films. With Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson making their first appearance in Anderson’s 2023 release, Tom Cruise could be a fun choice to be featured in the next. Like with Tarantino, Wes Anderson could bring something fantastic out of Tom Cruise no matter the size of the role.

Sources: Variety