{"id":21022,"date":"2025-11-13T20:40:44","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T16:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/?p=8006543211032838"},"modified":"2025-11-13T20:27:48","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T16:27:48","slug":"glen-powell-rise-hollywood-leading-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/glen-powell-rise-hollywood-leading-man\/","title":{"rendered":"Glen Powell\u2019s Rise: From \u2018Top Gun\u2019 Wingman to Hollywood\u2019s Next Leading Man"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"background: #f7fafc; padding: 15px;\">\n<p><strong>Quick Read<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Glen Powell\u2019s star rose rapidly after \u2018Top Gun: Maverick\u2019 alongside Tom Cruise.<\/li>\n<li>He leads the remake of \u2018The Running Man,\u2019 performing his own stunts and channeling a modern action hero.<\/li>\n<li>Powell has avoided superhero franchises, focusing on roles where his personal brand is the main draw.<\/li>\n<li>His comedic talent shines in Hulu\u2019s \u2018Chad Powers,\u2019 which balances absurdity with emotional depth.<\/li>\n<li>Critics praise Powell\u2019s charisma and physicality, fueling talk of him as Hollywood\u2019s next leading man.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Can Glen Powell Fill Hollywood\u2019s Movie Star Void?<\/h2>\n<p>For decades, Hollywood\u2019s biggest blockbusters have been driven by the gravitational pull of true movie stars\u2014those rare actors whose mere presence can turn an ordinary film into a box office phenomenon. But as franchises and superheroes increasingly eclipse personalities, industry insiders and fans alike have wondered: who will step up as the next Tom Cruise? In 2025, one name keeps surfacing\u2014Glen Powell.<\/p>\n<h2>Learning from the Best: Powell\u2019s Evolution After \u2018Top Gun\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Powell\u2019s journey didn\u2019t begin overnight. More than twenty years have passed since his first acting role, yet it was his breakout turn as Lieutenant Jake &#8220;Hangman&#8221; Seresin in 2022\u2019s &#8220;Top Gun: Maverick&#8221;\u2014alongside Tom Cruise\u2014that launched him into the Hollywood stratosphere. Suddenly, Powell wasn\u2019t just another face in the crowd; he was the actor audiences couldn\u2019t stop talking about.<\/p>\n<p>But Powell\u2019s ascent is more than a story of lucky timing. He\u2019s meticulously followed the playbook of Cruise, not only by performing his own stunts but by choosing roles that showcase his range\u2014from romantic comedies to high-octane action. In &#8220;Anyone but You&#8221; (2023), his chemistry with Sydney Sweeney revived the rom-com genre, pulling in over $220 million globally. That success, coupled with leading roles in the storm-chasing thriller &#8220;Twisters&#8221; and Hulu\u2019s offbeat comedy &#8220;Chad Powers,&#8221; confirmed Powell\u2019s versatility and bankability.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018The Running Man\u2019: A Career-Defining Challenge<\/h2>\n<p>This fall, Powell faces his boldest test yet: stepping into the shoes once filled by Arnold Schwarzenegger for a fresh adaptation of &#8220;The Running Man.&#8221; The original film, based on Stephen King\u2019s dystopian novel, was a showcase for Schwarzenegger\u2019s physicality and screen presence. Now, director Edgar Wright believes Powell is uniquely equipped to bring a modern edge to the role of Ben Richards\u2014a desperate everyman forced to compete in a deadly televised game show.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He wanted to do as much as he could on camera,&#8221; Wright told <em>Business Insider<\/em>, noting Powell\u2019s eagerness to perform his own stunts. Wright also highlighted Powell\u2019s rare &#8220;down-home appeal,&#8221; explaining, &#8220;To me, he can still play the everyman.&#8221; That ability to balance relatable vulnerability with action-star bravado is precisely what studios crave in an era where authentic charisma is at a premium.<\/p>\n<p>Powell\u2019s commitment was so thorough, he reportedly turned to Cruise for advice on stunt work and the art of movie-star running\u2014a nod to the physical trademarks that made Cruise an icon. But Powell isn\u2019t simply copying Cruise\u2019s formula; he\u2019s rewriting it for a new generation. He\u2019s avoided superhero franchises and instead focuses on stories where his persona is the main draw, a strategy that\u2019s earned him glowing praise from studio executives and creative collaborators alike.<\/p>\n<h2>Comedy and Character: \u2018Chad Powers\u2019 and the Art of the Absurd<\/h2>\n<p>If Powell\u2019s movie-star credentials are forged in action, his comedic chops shine in &#8220;Chad Powers.&#8221; Developed with longtime friend Michael Waldron, the Hulu series springs from a seemingly &#8220;stupidest idea ever&#8221;: a disgraced football player (Powell) dons prosthetics and attempts a comeback at a struggling college. Waldron told <em>Gold Derby<\/em>, &#8220;It was either gonna be Glen or me. &#8230; He\u2019s the full package. Everything that makes him this great leading man and an action star &#8230; made it so exciting to have him play this insane, ridiculous part on TV.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>What could have been a one-note joke instead became a surprisingly grounded, human story. Waldron and Powell leaned into the absurd premise but treated the characters and emotional stakes seriously. The writers drew inspiration from series like &#8220;Eastbound &amp; Down&#8221; for its unfiltered sports comedy and &#8220;Breaking Bad&#8221; for its tension around a central lie. The result: a show that\u2019s funny, heartfelt, and uniquely Powell\u2019s own.<\/p>\n<h2>Critical Reception: Action, Charisma, and Social Commentary<\/h2>\n<p>With &#8220;The Running Man&#8221; now in theaters, critics are taking note of Powell\u2019s kinetic energy and ability to anchor intense action. The <em>Seattle Times<\/em> describes the film as a &#8220;pulse-pounding blitz of kinetic carnage,&#8221; with Powell magnetic in nearly every frame. Yet the film\u2019s commentary on wealth inequality and social humiliation, while prescient, occasionally stumbles\u2014raising questions about how much weight a star can carry when the story itself wavers.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Powell\u2019s performance is at the center of the conversation. His ability to embody both the underdog and the unstoppable force is turning heads, fueling speculation that he may be Hollywood\u2019s best shot at recapturing the elusive magic of the movie-star era.<\/p>\n<h2>Hollywood\u2019s Future: Can Powell Lead the Way?<\/h2>\n<p>Powell himself is quick to point out that &#8220;no one will ever replace Tom Cruise.&#8221; Yet, as Cruise approaches his mid-sixties, the industry faces a crossroads. Powell is not only putting &#8220;butts in seats&#8221;\u2014he\u2019s proving that a star\u2019s unique brand can still drive audiences to theaters, even as the landscape shifts toward streaming and digital engagement.<\/p>\n<p>Behind the scenes, Powell\u2019s social savvy and genuine enthusiasm for the craft have earned him allies and admirers. His willingness to take risks, embrace the absurd, and push his physical limits is reminiscent of the greats, but with a distinctly modern edge. Whether he becomes the next Tom Cruise or simply carves out his own lane, Powell is making a compelling case for the enduring power of personality in Hollywood.<\/p>\n<p><em>Glen Powell\u2019s rise isn\u2019t just about replacing a legend\u2014it\u2019s about proving that authentic star power, adaptability, and grounded humanity can still thrive in an industry searching for its next icon. If Hollywood\u2019s future belongs to those who dare to run, Powell is already out front.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Glen Powell\u2019s rapid ascent from supporting roles to headline star status marks a rare moment in Hollywood\u2019s shifting landscape, as he channels the charisma and grit of icons like Tom Cruise while forging his own path through action blockbusters and TV comedy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":-1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"googlesitekit_rrm_CAow5Nm1DA:productID":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1480],"tags":[30272,21225,5446,5555,24069,11955],"class_list":["post-21022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-action-stars","tag-chad-powers","tag-glen-powell","tag-hollywood","tag-the-running-man","tag-tom-cruise"],"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/tmpk__oorit.jpg","_embedded":{"wp:featuredmedia":[{"id":-1,"source_url":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/tmpk__oorit.jpg","media_type":"image","mime_type":"image\/jpeg"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21022\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}