Apart from his highly successful Mission: Impossible franchise, Tom Cruise was once set to star as another secret agent in 2015’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. With Guy Ritchie behind the camera for the adaptation of the 1960s spy series Man from U.N.C.L.E, Cruise was initially considered to star in the movie, however, his schedule wouldn’t allow it.
Being the world’s biggest movie star comes with its own sets of struggles, and despite his initial interest in leading the ambitious spy thriller, Cruise later backed out of the project due to another action franchise.
Tom Cruise left The Man from U.N.C.L.E. to star in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Before making its way to the big screen, the modern-day adaptation of The Man from U.N.C.L.E saw several actors on the frontline for the role, including the likes of George Clooney. Tom Cruise would be eventually reported as the favorite to star as Napoleon Solo in the spy thriller, however, he would eventually back away from the project due to his commitment to Mission: Impossible 5. Considering that Mission: Impossible 5 was set to release in the same timeframe, working on two projects simultaneously was too much for him, and eventually Cruise stepped down from the project.
Following Cruise’s departure, Henry Cavill was hired to star in the spy thriller and would later make his jump to the Mission: Impossible franchise in its sixth installment. But despite giving his best performance in the role of Napoleon Solo and the movie’s decent critical reception, the film bombed at the box office and garnered around $107 million from an approximately $75 million budget.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. failed to leave a substantial mark
Although Tom Cruise’s decision to step out from the movie wasn’t the biggest reason behind its failure, however, his enormous franchise and its fifth installment were. After parting ways from the spy thriller, the actor was set to star in the fifth installment in his beloved action franchise, Mission: Impossible 5, and as expected, the movie performed greatly at the box office. But considering that the movie was released around the same timeframe as The Man from U.N.C.L.E and pulled off around $682 million, the Cavill-led movie wasn’t able to garner any substantial buzz.
Despite WB’s attempt of reviving the classic franchise with Cavill at its forefront, the poor box office shut reception down all possibilities for a sequel. However, there have been reports surrounding a sequel being in development, and considering that Cavill is now out from two of his major roles, we might soon get to witness Napoleon Solo in action again.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is available to stream on Apple TV.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
