Tom Cruise, long celebrated as the leading 2025 action star due to his daring stunts and blockbuster hits, has been surpassed at the box office. Despite the success of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, released earlier this year, the racing film F1: The Movie has now taken the top spot as the highest-grossing action film of 2025.
Throughout his career, Cruise has established himself as a top-tier action star by performing practical stunts that bring authenticity and excitement to his movies. His recent projects, including Mission: Impossible installments and Top Gun: Maverick, achieved critical and commercial success, securing his status as a dominant force in the genre. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning earned $597 million globally, continuing Cruise’s streak of box office hits.
However, F1: The Movie, starring Brad Pitt, has pulled ahead this year, grossing $603 million worldwide. The film‘s international success and long-lasting popularity in theaters have contributed to its record-breaking performance, dethroning Cruise’s Mission: Impossible as the year’s biggest action movie.
How Joseph Kosinski’s Direction and Collaboration Influenced F1’s Success
F1: The Movie’s victory is closely tied to director Joseph Kosinski, a frequent collaborator of Tom Cruise. Kosinski first worked with Cruise on the 2013 film Oblivion and later directed Top Gun: Maverick, which became one of the most acclaimed summer blockbusters. His expertise in blending practical stunts with compelling storytelling played a significant role in F1’s realistic racing scenes and overall appeal.
The film’s production companies, Apple Studios and Warner Bros., leveraged Kosinski’s proven track record in their marketing campaigns to attract audiences. The director’s involvement helped F1 deliver thrilling sequences comparable to the adrenaline-fueled flying shots in Maverick, which Cruise himself starred in.
While Cruise’s work with Kosinski on Top Gun: Maverick contributed to building anticipation for F1, this connection also indirectly led to Cruise losing the crown as 2025’s top action star. Pitt’s film used some of the same cinematic strategies that made Maverick a success, enabling it to claim the year’s highest box office for an action movie and emerge as a surprise hit.
Ranking of 2025’s Top Ten Action Films by Box Office Revenue
The following list details the leading action movies of 2025, ranked by their worldwide box office earnings:
- F1: The Movie – $603 million
- Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – $597 million
- Ballerina – $133 million
- Karate Kid: Legends – $112 million
- The Accountant 2 – $103 million
- The Amateur – $96 million
- A Working Man – $88 million
- Den of Thieves: Pantera – $58 million
- Flight Risk – $48 million
- Novocaine – $34 million
Positive Outlook for Tom Cruise’s Upcoming Projects
Although losing the title of 2025’s top action star to Brad Pitt may seem like a setback for Tom Cruise, there are promising advantages in this development. The success of F1: The Movie, directed by Kosinski, bolsters confidence in the upcoming Top Gun 3, with Kosinski confirmed to return as director. Paramount executives consider the sequel a high priority, and the recent accomplishments of F1 offer reassurance that the director can deliver another blockbuster hit.
Fans awaited Top Gun 3 with excitement after Maverick’s success, though some questioned whether the sequel could match its predecessor’s critical and financial achievements while maintaining its heart and action quality. Kosinski’s ability to craft thrilling, practical sequences, evident in both TRON: Legacy and F1, has raised expectations for the upcoming film’s performance in theaters worldwide.
Furthermore, Cruise might have the opportunity to revisit racing dramas through a Days of Thunder sequel, currently in early development. The overspill of enthusiasm generated by F1 could increase demand for Cruise to return to this genre. There is also speculation about a potential crossover involving the Days of Thunder sequel and F1, uniting Cruise’s character Cole Trickle and Pitt’s Sonny Hayes.
This crossover idea faces challenges due to the differing studios behind each franchise—Paramount having rights to Days of Thunder, while Apple and Warner Bros. control F1—but it has not been ruled out. Cruise’s recent participation in F1 promotional events may facilitate such collaboration.
Future Ambitions for Tom Cruise in Action Cinema
As Tom Cruise transitions beyond Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, he remains determined to prove his dominance as a leading action star. Although Brad Pitt’s F1 has momentarily eclipsed him in box office success, the long-term impact of these developments could work in Cruise’s favor. Collaborations with Kosinski, potential racing sequels, and continued franchise success suggest that Cruise is poised to maintain a strong presence in action films for years to come.
“Losing the 2025 action movie star crown to Pitt surely isn’t what Cruise expected, but being beaten by his former Interview with a Vampire co-star might not be all bad.” —Unnamed Analyst
“Kosinski is confirmed to return to direct the sequel, and it seems likely that it will be his next feature, considering Paramount’s new brass views the movie as a priority to make.” —Industry Insider
