Tom Cruise’s 24-Year Box Office Milestone: Why His Success Streak Is Set to Continue

Tom Cruise has solidified his status as a box office titan, starring in a series of immensely successful films. Notably, it has been 24 years since he last achieved the remarkable feat of having the highest-grossing film of the year.

His rise to fame commenced in the late 1980s, and throughout the 1990s, he consistently delivered blockbuster hits, with all but two of his movies surpassing $100 million in box office revenue. The 2000s saw Cruise exceed this milestone an impressive 11 times, largely fueled by the growth of the Mission: Impossible franchise and collaborations with esteemed director Steven Spielberg.

As of now, Cruise’s films have collectively grossed over $12 billion globally, according to The Numbers, making him one of the most financially successful actors in cinematic history. His box office prowess appears far from waning; notably, his career’s highest-grossing film record has been challenged twice in the past six years, thanks to Mission: Impossible – Fallout and the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, the latter currently holding the top record. Yet, despite his ongoing success, Cruise has not repeated his significant milestone since 1999.

The Last Time Tom Cruise Had The Year’s Highest-Grossing Movie

Mission: Impossible II: The 2000 Box Office Champion

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt riding motorcycle and wearing sunglasses in Mission: Impossible 2.

Despite numerous box office successes over the last two decades, Cruise has not managed to release a film that concluded the year as the highest-grossing. That honor last belonged to Mission: Impossible II in 2000, which was highly anticipated as the follow-up to the rebooted franchise’s initial offering in 1996. The film amassed a staggering $546 million worldwide, surpassing its predecessor’s takings by nearly $100 million, a clear indicator of strong audience demand for the series.

Highlighted by long-lasting appeal, Mission: Impossible II not only marked Cruise’s career best at that point but firmly established him as a box office leader for the year. It outperformed other major releases like Gladiator by nearly $90 million, allowing Cruise to surpass top-tier actors of his time including Russell Crowe, Tom Hanks, and Mel Gibson, among others. This achievement marked only the second occasion in Cruise’s illustrious career that a film featuring him dominated the year at the box office.

Only One Other Time as Box Office King

Top Gun: The Prelude to Success

Tom Cruise as Pete Maverick Mitchell in sunglasses in Top Gun

One of Cruise’s iconic films, Top Gun, was pivotal in launching his career as a bankable star. Released in 1986, the film grossed $176 million globally, and when adjusted for inflation, its earnings soar to approximately $514 million. This landmark success positioned Cruise at the helm of the year’s highest-grossing film for the first time.

Tom Cruise Movies That Finished #1 At The Worldwide Box Office
Movie	Box Office
Top Gun (1986)	$176 million
Mission: Impossible II (2000)	$546 million

Top Gun’s success was closely contested; it narrowly edged out Crocodile Dundee by approximately $2 million, showcasing the competitive nature of 1986’s box office. Since then, Cruise has yet to capture the top spot again aside from Mission: Impossible II, although the return of Top Gun could have potentially granted him that accolade a third time.

Tom Cruise’s Near Miss with Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick’s Stellar Performance in 2022

Tom Cruise's Maverick sitting at a bar reading his phone in Top Gun Maverick

Following years of anticipation, Top Gun: Maverick delivered sensational results, grossing almost $1.5 billion worldwide in 2022. While the film saw numerous delays, its eventual release strategy paid dividends, though it ultimately fell short of becoming the year’s top film, overshadowed by Avatar: The Way of Water, which earned nearly a billion dollars more.

The face-off between these two blockbuster sequels was marked by unexpected twists, with both films juggling multiple release dates. Had circumstances turned out differently, it is conceivable that Cruise could have reclaimed the title of box office king.

Despite finishing as the second highest-grossing film of 2022—a notable achievement that matches Rain Man—it underscores Cruise’s impressive ability to captivate audiences. The year 1996 also proved significant for Cruise, with two films landing in the top five: Mission: Impossible at third and Jerry Maguire at fourth.

Throughout his career, Cruise has celebrated 16 movies that landed in the top 10 of the global box office during their respective release years. A few titles like A Few Good Men (1992) and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) reached top five status, while The Last Samurai ranked sixth in 2003. Films including Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout have each settled into the eighth spot in their release years, with others such as Minority Report and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning landing tenth in 2002 and 2023.

Future Films Are Unlikely to Secure Box Office Dominance

Hopes for New Successes Remain

As Tom Cruise continues to strive for the box office heights achieved with Mission: Impossible II 24 years ago, forecasts suggest that this quest may extend for several more years. Anticipation for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is high, especially after the last entry did not meet expectations at the box office. Even should it achieve franchise-best figures, it seems unlikely to reclaim the title of the highest-grossing movie of 2025, owing to an array of promising films set to dominate the market.

However, Top Gun 3 holds potential as Cruise’s most likely upcoming project to make a significant impact on the box office. It currently lacks a specific release date and may still be several years away, leaving Tom Cruise waiting patiently for an opportunity to once again reign supreme at the box office.

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