Rebel Moon helmer Zack Snyder has revealed that Tom Cruise wanted to play a complex but powerful Watchmen character in his own 2009 film. Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan believes that Snyder’s Watchmen was ahead of its time. And he is not wrong. Snyder’s directing style is undoubtedly a double-edged sword. While the director excels at bringing alluring visuals on the big screen, he often fails when it comes to character developments. Though, he did one hell of a job with Watchmen. The 2009 superhero project served as a visually stunning homage to the source material. Plus, its compelling character and dark and gritty tone made the film intriguing.
In a recent interview with ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, Snyder disclosed that Cruise wanted to play Rorschach in his Watchmen film. The director believed in Cruise’s ability to portray a complex character like Rorschach on the big screen with perfection. However, he had already cast Jackie Earle Haley for the role. Snyder wanted Cruise to play Ozymandias.
“He [Cruise] wanted to play Rorschach, which, I mean obviously, he could have done. Yeah. But we had Jackie already and Jackie is, like, unbelievable! I mean, but I certainly would have considered Tom in retrospect if I hadn’t had Jackie,” Snyder said.
Jackie Earle Haley’s breathtaking take on Rorschach received acclaim from critics. His take on the popular but savage vigilante was one of the best things about Snyder’s Watchmen.
Tom Cruise possesses insane acting range. Portraying Rorschach would not have been too big of a stretch for him, considering his history of playing complicated characters like Lestat in “Interview with the Vampire” (1994) or Vincent in “Collateral” (2004). He also starred in Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999) as Bill Harford, a husband facing marital issues and battling with his inner demons and jealousy. Though, many may still consider Rorschach an against-type character for Cruise, given his long history of playing heroic action characters, such as Ethan Hunt from the Mission Impossible series. Stay tuned for more updates.
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