Tom Cruise has been a Hollywood icon for over 40 years. He has done action, comedy, romance, and drama. But there is one type of movie he only did once: fantasy.
In 1985, Cruise starred in Ridley Scott’s Legend. He played Jack, trying to save Princess Lili, played by Mia Sara. The film was full of fairies, goblins, and a scary villain played by Tim Curry. It looked amazing, but audiences didn’t connect with it, and it failed at the box office.
The production was also a nightmare. A huge fire destroyed a key set just before filming ended. When the movie was finished, the original 125-minute cut was trimmed down to under 100 minutes in some countries, leaving the story confusing. Cruise later called his role “another colour in a Ridley Scott painting,” meaning it looked beautiful but was hard to love.
After Legend, Cruise promised himself he would never do a fantasy film again. He wanted projects that matched his instincts and vision. He said the experience taught him to make sure everything on set went as planned.
The lessons stuck. Both Cruise and Scott avoided fantasy after that. Cruise focused on action films, from Mission: Impossible to Top Gun: Maverick. He became known for performing insane stunts and throwing himself fully into his roles.
That one fantasy film shaped his career. After Legend, Cruise found his true genre: high-stakes action built on determination and willpower. And for 40 years, he has never looked back.
