The success of the Glen Powell-led Twisters proves that Top Cruise: Maverick could have also succeeded without Tom Cruise. Top Gun: Maverick was a box-office smash when it debuted in 2022, with Tom Cruise reprising his role as hotshot pilot Peter Mitchell. The movie also boasted an impressive cast of modern and rising stars, including Glen Powell and Miles Teller in crucial roles. The film was heavily stepped in nostalgia for the original, and effectively served as a direct sequel to the prior Top Gun film.
However, being a direct follow-up wasn’t the only way Top Gun: Maverick could have been a financial success. Powell is the star of another legacy reboot/sequel in the form of Twisters. Largely unconnected to the original, Twisters has proven to be one of the big hits of the summer season, despite lacking any of the returning stars or stories from the original. This proves an effective reboot of a premise like Twisters or Top Gun could still work just fine without too many direct connections between the movies.
Twisters Built On The Original Movie But Still Rebooted The Franchise
Twisters Proves Franchises Reboots Can Still Work As Standalone Stories
Twisters works as a stand-alone film that nevertheless built upon cinematic history, highlighting how other legacy sequels like Top Gun: Maverick can work without returning characters or storylines. Although Twisters happens in the same universe as 1996’s Twister, it features an entirely new cast of characters who are largely removed from the story of the original. However, the film still feels like a successful follow-up to the original, and even functionally works as a reboot of the premise. Both Twister and Twisters are character-driven narratives, with the external threat of life-threatening twisters giving the drama a definitive danger to overcome.
Twisters actually benefits from not having to shoehorn in elements of the original movie into the story. It still has the vibes of the earlier movie, especially when the twisters come into play and force the characters to scramble survive. It effectively serves as a modern take on the old premise. Notably, the film was a critical and commercial success. It didn’t need too many overt lore connections or returning stars. Audiences were excited to see a new take on a familar concept, thanks to a compelling cast and strong direction.
Twisters Proves A Top Gun Sequel Could Have Worked Without Tom Cruise
Peter Mitchell Didn’t Need To Return For Top Gun: Maverick To Work
This highlights the reality that Top Gun: Maverick could have likely still been a success even without Tom Cruise stepping back into the lead. Actors like Glen Powell and Miles Teller brought new energy to Top Gun: Maverick, even while clearly recalling characters and dynamics from the previous film. This gave the film an element of continuity with the original that still allowed room for new character arcs and storylines. Without Cruise naturally stealing the spotlight in his return to one of his most foundational roles, the characters could have become the driving force of the film.
If Top Gun’s sequel had followed the trajectory of Twisters and approached a similar concept from a new perspective, it could have still been a huge success like Twisters. Joseph Kosinski, who directed Top Gun: Maverick, was at one point set to direct Twisters and took part in the development for the project. If the fresh swing of Twisters worked for that film, a similar approach could have benefited Top Gun: Maverick and helped differentiate further it from the original. While it may have been tricky to do Top Gun: Maverick without Tom Cruise, Twisters proves it was possible.