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Tom Cruise is in serious talks to bring back his scene-stealing Tropic Thunder character Les Grossman, according to Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning director Christopher McQuarrie.
McQuarrie, who’s been Cruise’s primary creative partner for over a decade, revealed these discussions during a recent podcast appearance. Their collaboration spans numerous high-profile projects including Top Gun: Maverick, Edge of Tomorrow, and four Mission: Impossible films – making McQuarrie uniquely positioned to know what’s on Cruise’s professional horizon.
“The conversations we’ve had about Les Grossman are so f—— funny,” McQuarrie shared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “We’re talking about it, we’re having very serious conversations about it, and how best to do it. It ultimately comes down to what that character is.”
For those unfamiliar, Grossman is the profanity-spewing, dance-obsessed Hollywood agent that Cruise portrayed in Ben Stiller’s 2008 comedy. Despite limited screen time, the prosthetic-wearing, balding character became one of the film’s most memorable elements.
These creative discussions apparently provided welcome relief during the demanding production of their latest action blockbuster.
“We don’t even think about the structure, we play with scenes,” McQuarrie explained. “Just to be sitting at a breakfast table, not talking about the movie we’re making for a minute, is such decompression. And just riffing with Tom playing Les Grossman at the table, it was one of the real joys of making this movie.”
The timing feels right.
Tropic Thunder has aged remarkably well as a Hollywood satire, particularly as the industry has evolved in ways that almost validate the film’s comedic predictions. Its mockery of studio politics, actor pretensions, and commercial filmmaking feels even more relevant in today’s franchise-dominated landscape.
The original film featured an impressive ensemble including Stiller (who also directed), Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr. in his controversial – yet Oscar-nominated – role as method actor Kirk Lazarus. Nick Nolte, Steve Coogan, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Bill Hader, and Matthew McConaughey rounded out the cast.
McQuarrie, who won an Oscar for writing The Usual Suspects before becoming Cruise’s go-to filmmaker, didn’t specify whether a Grossman return would be in a standalone project or a cameo appearance. The character previously appeared at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, suggesting Cruise’s continued affection for the role despite his typically action-oriented career choices.
While planning these future endeavors, McQuarrie described the creative process as “slugging out the present” – perhaps referencing the considerable challenges involved in completing their current Mission: Impossible installment.
