The industry saw a seismic shift post-pandemic with most superhero films not working. However, Tom Cruise and Margot Robbie delivered big time.

Tom Cruise has been entertaining audiences since the 80s and he shows no signs of slowing down. At 62, he is as energetic as ever and continues to push boundaries with his action filmmaking with the Mission Impossible films. He is undoubtedly one of the last true blue movie stars whose name and reputation are a brand in itself.

Margot Robbie’s Barbie became the highest-grossing film of 2023 | Credits: Warner Bros

The state of the movie industry has been unpredictable and fans’ viewing tastes have changed post-pandemic. Superhero films which were the dominant genre in terms of box office have struggled and reaching a billion dollars has become a rare occurrence. Cruise and Margot Robbie’s films peaked during this unpredictable time compared to the once-dominant Marvel and DC films.

While Superhero Films Stumbled Post-Pandemic, Tom Cruise and Margot Ribbie Restored Faith in Cinema

Tom Cruise saved cinemas with 2022’s Best Picture nominee Top Gun: Maverick | Credits: Paramount Pictures

Prior to the pandemic, the superhero genre was the dominant genre that ruled the box office. The MCU films were leading the charge with back-to-back hits. 2019 was its peak year where all three of its releases Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man Far From Home grossed more than $1 billion at the box office (via The Numbers).

Reaching that mark felt like a regular occurrence for the MCU and people were used to their films performing greatly. However the pandemic caused a seismic shift in how people view films and it also changed the industry significantly, completely flipping one’s perception of what worked and what didn’t. The once dominant MCU wasn’t earning the high numbers and some even started underperforming.

Looking back, it is shocking to realize that Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine are the only $1 billion grossing MCU films post the pandemic. Among the only 8 films that have crossed $1 billion post-Covid (via X), Tom Cruise and Margot Robbie surprisingly delivered their biggest hits with Top Gun: Maverick (1.46 billion via The Numbers) and Barbie (1.44 billion via The Numbers).

Both aforementioned films were some of the most memorable projects in 2022 and 2023 respectively, with Top Gun: Maverick being praised by many for bringing back theatrical viewing back and was deemed a savior of the industry. Similarly, Barbie ruled the world as part of the incredible Barbenheimer phenomenon last year.

The two films became Cruise and Robbie’s highest-grossing films, signifying that audiences would turn up for great storytelling no matter the genre. While some superhero films like Doctor Strange 2, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 performed better than others, the genre clearly suffered post-pandemic. While Deadpool & Wolverine brought some of the sheen back, many still question the genre’s viability at the box office.

Doug Liman and Tom Cruise Have Had Frequent Talks About Making Edge of Tomorrow Sequel

Tom Cruise‘s Edge of Tomorrow remains one of his most underrated films that continues to find new fans to this day. The inventive time loop action film was not a big hit when it was released in 2014 but fans have been clamoring for a sequel to the film for many years. The possibility of it happening sounds promising with Liman’s recent comments.

In an interview with Empire, director Doug Liman revealed that they rewatched the film recently and rediscovered how great it was. Liman further stated that he and Cruise continue to have discussions about a possible sequel as they love the world of Edge of Tomorrow. He said,

Tom and I just actually rewatched it about two months ago, because I hadn’t seen it in 10 years. I was like, ‘Wow, that is a really good movie.’ No, we keep talking about it. We love that world.

Liman further told Collider that “it’s still a dream and a plan” to make a sequel to that beloved film. The director-actor duo is also set to make a space film where Cruise will actually shoot sequences in space. It remains to be seen which project materializes first. Fans can watch Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick on Paramount+ and Margot Robbie’s Barbie on Max.