5 Characters Tom Cruise Should Play In James Gunn's DCU After Warner Bros. Film Deal

Like Batman and Bruce Wayne, Tom Cruise and a mainstream superhero movie have never been seen together, no matter how much we've wanted them to be.

Despite once being considered to play Iron Man (and the disappointment fans felt when he didn't appear as a Tony Stark variant in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"), Cruise has yet to put on a super suit. However, now that he's signed a massive Warner Bros. film deal, he'll soon be occupying a workspace not too far from James Gunn and Peter Safran, the duo in charge of the new DC Universe.

The cast list of the new DCU is moving forward with more power than a talent-filled locomotive, but with some roles left to fill, might there be some room in this world of Caped Crusaders and potential Brainiacs for Cruise? After factoring in his consistent affinity for spectacle and incredible stunt, here's a carefully picked quintet of characters whose stories might meet those requirements, and with Cruise in control, any one of them could be a hit on the DCU's road to revival.

Let's get the most obvious and easiest fit for the iconic film star out of the way, first. Tom Cruise as Hal Jordan is a match made in comic book movie heaven.

As USAF pilot Hal "Highball" Jordan, Cruise would have plenty of time to fly around in the planes he loves before the story takes him out of the stratosphere. From there, Cruise could bring "Green Lantern" back to the light and become one of Sector 2814's most beloved ring-slingers. But at 61, is he too old for the role? If reports of DCU plans are to be believed, he might be just the right age.

The upcoming Max series, "Lanterns," is said to spotlight one of Earth's other Green Lantern Corps members, John Stewart, with his predecessor, Jordan, hanging back as support. Sure, it might sound like a space-aged "Top Gun: Maverick" on the surface, but the heroes' space opera setting would be enough to break away from overt comparisons.

More importantly, if specific story beats from "Green Lantern" history are applied, Cruise's stint as the greatest Lantern of them all might be interrupted by the evil entity, Parallax. This would be an excellent opportunity for one of Hollywood's biggest heroes to venture into the dark side and be a bad guy for a change.

Should Tom Cruise want to keep things somewhat grounded instead of mentally conjuring up green constructs to solve his problems, getting his hands dirty and his face hidden as The Question would be a great way to do so.

Debuting in Charlton Comics in 1967 before being bought by DC Comics in the 1980s, The Question is the faceless alter-ego of investigative journalist Vic Sage. Using an experimental fake skin material called pseudoderm as a mask, this non-superpowered vigilante with a mannequin-like mug veered away from supervillains like other more conventional heroes. Instead, he spends his time taking down corrupt politicians and breaking down organizations as one of DC's street-level heroes.

It might sound like a strange choice for Cruise, but that's precisely why it could be one of his most interesting ventures. With his last handful of projects feeling more like a "Tom Cruise movie" than whatever franchise he was a part of, becoming a hero with an identity hidden as deeply as The Question would demand a different type of performance for one of the most well-known faces in the world. A character like The Question would also thrive thanks to Cruise's tendency to put himself on the front lines of incredible action sequences, which is everything the street-level hero is about. He doesn't have a utility belt or trick arrow ready to combat any incident; he only has himself, and in the case of Tom Cruise, sometimes that's all a superhero needs.

Have you ever seen Tom Cruise as Lestat in "Interview with a Vampire?" Remember him bouncing around a plague-riddled house with a corpse as a dancing partner? That's the kind of twisted, darkly comical tone that's suited to the Joker, DC's Clown Prince of Crime. It's also a role that Tom Cruise would work wonders with.

It's been forever since we've seen him Cruise a villain, and what better bad guy to take on than a scene-stealing psychopath who has it out for a hero dressed like a bat?

While Barry Keoghan is bringing a seemingly grotesque serial killer-like version of the Joker to Matt Reeves' "The Batman" universe, Cruise could prove to be a killer comedic foil to face off with the version of the Dark Knight who arrives in Andy Muschietti's "Brave and the Bold." He allegedly loved "The Flash" so much that he called Muschietti to rave about it, so why not have the director bring Cruise onto his next project? Seeing an unhinged Cruise with green hair and chalk-white skin face off with the father-and-son version of DC's dynamic duo sounds like a winning (and grinning) combination.

"How does he do that?" is a question often asked when audiences settle in for a Tom Cruise movie. Whether it's leaping from building to building or running through the streets of Venice, Cruise is a legitimate master of movie magic in his own right. What better place to apply these death-defying skills than in a role that thrives on them?

Enter DC's original Mister Miracle, Thaddeus Brown. Debuting in 1971 as the first Mister Miracle, Brown was a master escapologist who taught Scott Free the tricks of the trade before being killed by Intergang. It was then that Free took up Brown's alias, combining his new skills with his natural abilities as one of DC's New Gods.

While it might sound like just another teacher-student story, Cruise's input could help elevate a lesser-known hero to the mainstream and get him involved in stunt work that could push the star into set pieces he wouldn't otherwise be a part of. Cruise loves applying the occasional sleight of hand and playing characters with a knack for getting out of incredibly close calls, so what better place for him to reapply them than in James Gunn's new DC Universe?

Historically, any live-action iteration of Superman's dear old dad has brought with it some high-level star power. Marlon Brando brought gravitas as Jor-El before sending his super son to the other end of the universe, and Russell Crowe was a welcome addition as Henry Cavill's on-screen turn as the iconic hero in "Man of Steel."

With this kind of talent having taken on the role of Superman's biological father in the past, there's no reason why the "last great movie star" shouldn't follow in their footsteps and provide wisdom and solitude in Kal-El's hours of need.

While it wouldn't be that physically demanding a role for Cruise (if Gunn doesn't show us Krypton blowing up again, that is), playing Jor-El would allow the star to play a more reserved role than he has in recent years. Stepping into the House of El's robes and telling his son what's what would demand that he exercise his acting muscles more than the ones he's used while being thrown against the sides of planes or rocking around in broken-down cars. Tom Cruise has made us believe a man can fly at high speed; let's have him make us believe he could help guide Superman into being a real hero, too.