Tom Cruise has not only seen The Flash, but he's such a fan he cold-called director Andy Muschietti to share the love, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Per the publication's sources, Cruise asked Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav if he could see the film, after the CEO mentioned how good the movie is in a meeting that took place in late February. The film was then taken directly to Cruise's home, accompanied by an employee for Warner Bros., who then spirited it away again when Cruise was finished.
The actor was so blown away by the movie that he called Muschietti directly to sing its praises. The Hollywood Reporter claims Cruise said something along the lines of The Flash is "everything you want in a movie" and "this is the kind of movie we need now." There's no word on how Muschietti responded, but it seems safe to assume he was pleased.
The Flash stars Ezra Miller as the titular speedster, who accidentally breaks the timeline after going back to prevent his mother's death. That leads to a world without superheroes, just in time for Michael Shannon's General Zod – returning from Man of Steel – to arrive on Earth. Without Superman to stop him, Barry Allen must seek the help of a retired Batman (Michael Keaton, back for the first time since Batman Returns) and help free Supergirl (Sasha Calle) from captivity. Ben Affleck also co-stars as his version of Batman.
Cruise, meanwhile, has a reputation as a passionate defender of cinema and the theatrical experience. Steven Spielberg was recently caught on camera telling the actor he'd "saved Hollywood's ass" with the theatrical release of Top Gun: Maverick, which was ultimately nominated for Best Picture at the 2023 Oscars.
The Flash releases on June 16, 2023. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows, as well as our roundup of projects coming soon as part of the new DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters slate.
The most recent release from DC is Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which you can read more about with our spoilery deep dives below:
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- When will Shazam! Fury of the Gods be on HBO Max?
- Are Shazam and Black Adam the same?
- How to watch the DC movies in order
- The comic history of the Shazam Family explained
- The comic history of Shazam and the Justice Society
- Do Shazam and Wonder Woman have a shared history in comics?
- The comic history of the Olympian Gods
- Shazam 2 director explains why the first movie's villain doesn't return
