When it comes to running on screen, Tom Cruise set the gold standard. From Mission: Impossible running sequences to Collateral’s neon-soaked streets, Cruise turned his sprinting style into a cinematic art form. Now, his former Top Gun: Maverick co-star Glen Powell is following in those famous footsteps with Edgar Wright’s The Running Man. And, true to his committed nature, Powell shared a note amid production on his 2025 movie schedule release, and I think Cruise would be pleased.
Glen Powell spoke about his upcoming movie as part of an exclusive cover story with Empire and dropped some intriguing details. Among the information he conveyed was his desire to ensure that there’s not mistake that he is indeed “running” in the film. On that note, the A-lister revealed that his sprinting was so important to him that he asked Wright to design a shot specifically to showcase it. He explained:
There are some sick shots in this movie. I talked to Edgar about this. I was like, ‘I need people to know that it’s me sprinting.’ So he designed an amazing shot in the movie where I can fully unleash. I didn’t want people to be like, ‘He was good at everything except for running!’
Of course, Powell won’t just be flexing his cardio skills in the upcoming Stephen King adaptation. The flick, which casts him as desperate contestant Ben Richards, promises a barrage of practical, high-stakes stunts to rival the best action movies. He continued:
We’re hanging on the side of buildings. We’re jumping off of moving cars and trains. An elevator plummets while I’m inside of it. There’s an amazing airplane fight sequence that is just incredible.
The Anyone But You actor is no stranger to high-octane cinema, but The Running Man looks like his full-fledged graduation into the kind of action hero territory once reserved forna star like Tom Cruise. Edgar Wright’s best movies are known for seamlessly blending kinetic style and practical spectacle so, with him behind the camera, the film aims to give audiences an immersive, subjective experience.
According to Edgar Wright, the Devotion star was the perfect choice because the film demanded a leading man capable of doing it all. In fact, the outlet even witnessed the in-demand actor leap off a bridge for one of the film’s centerpiece stunts, with no CGI trickery involved. In the same interview, Wright explained to Empire:
It was a real endeavour to actually create that on location, and to not do a CGI thing or a green-screen version of it… You can say, on the record, that you saw Glen Powell jump off a bridge! You’re with Glen in every single scene in the movie… That’s something I really liked about the book: it was a very intense, subjective experience.
By insisting on doing his own sprinting, Powell is carving out his own version of a Tom Cruise moment—an instantly recognizable image of the star giving everything for authenticity. It’s a small but crucial detail that could define him as more than just another charming lead, but as a committed action performer willing to sprint and risk it all.
The chase is officially on when The Running Man (set to be a more faithful adaptation of the source material) hits cinemas on November 7. Also, if Glen Powell’s sprinting showcase lives up to the hype, Cruise might just have a worthy cinematic running mate.