Tom Cruise is returning to Days of Thunder 2, but he initially had a major MCU director in mind before Jonathan Levine took the job. A recent report claims the creative team approached another filmmaker first, but he passed on the offer.
According to Matt Belloni of Puck News, that director is Shawn Levy, who helmed Deadpool & Wolverine. In the recent newsletter, Belloni reported that Paramount Pictures and Cruise pursued Levy “aggressively” for the racing sequel. However, Levy reportedly turned down the project to collaborate with Ryan Gosling on Marvel Studios’ Ghost Rider.
Levy is also directing the Gosling-led Star Wars: Starfighter film. The Mission: Impossible star previously visited the set of the space film, assisting Levy behind the scenes with a lightsaber duel sequence.
What else do we know about Days of Thunder 2 with Tom Cruise?
Following months of speculation, the sequel was officially announced over the summer with Cruise and Anne Hathaway as the lead actors. Levine, known for directing 50/50, is set to helm the feature from a script by Will Staples.
Cruise will return to star as veteran NASCAR driver Cole Trickle as he navigates modern racing challenges. Oscar-winner Hathaway joined the project and plays a talented team owner and engineer working alongside Cruise’s role.
Speaking in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Cruise called his co-star “talented” and described the plot as “a fun story.”
Meanwhile, Hathaway is expecting her third child, and she intends to take a break after her latest film, Verity, hits theaters. “The movie comes out October 2nd, and on October 3rd, I’m going to, like, vanish in a plume of smoke, and you’re not going to see me until you have to. So, I’m definitely gonna disappear, take some time off,” Hathaway shared. “But then, yes, I’m joining Tom on the track in March.”
Paramount has locked in a release date of June 2, 2028, for Days of Thunder 2.
