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Tom Cruise almost became Zorro, but even he knew it wasn’t the right call. Before Antonio Banderas put on the mask in The Mask of Zorro, Cruise was on Steven Spielberg’s radar for the role. And while Hollywood’s ultimate action star has taken on almost every daredevil gig, this one didn’t make the cut – for a surprisingly bold reason.
Cinematographer Mikael Salomon, who was once attached to direct The Legend of Zorro, revealed the surprising casting consideration while speaking in an interview with Slash Film for the 25th anniversary of The Mask of Zorro. According to Salomon, Spielberg, an executive producer on the film, had Cruise in mind for Don Alejandro de la Vega.
But Salomon saw trouble ahead. “He wanted to offer it to Tom Cruise,” he said during the interview but pointed out how director Bille August faced backlash for casting non-Latino actors in The House of the Spirits. “They picketed the movie in South America. And I said to Steven, ‘You know, that’s probably not a good idea, just for that reason.’”
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It turns out that Cruise was already one step ahead. Before anything was set in stone, the Mission: Impossible star personally called Salomon to turn down the part. The cinematographer recalled the moment: “One day I was doing a commercial, and my assistant said, ‘Mikael, there’s Tom Cruise on the phone for you.’” Salomon had worked with Cruise as a director of photography on Far and Away, but this call still caught him off guard.
“He called me up and said, ‘Thanks for the offer, but I think it’s not a great idea for me to do this movie because, as you know…’” Salomon recalled during the same interview. Cruise didn’t have to finish the sentence. “I said, ‘Tom, you’re a very smart guy. Absolutely, you’re absolutely right.’”
That sealed the deal. The role eventually went to Banderas, who brought the legendary masked vigilante back to life in 1998. The Zorro character had been a cinematic staple since Douglas Fairbanks first played him in The Mark of Zorro (1920), followed by Tyrone Power in the 1940 remake. By the late ‘90s, casting a non-Latino lead would have been a tough sell. Cruise, recognizing the cultural shift, knew it was best to pass.
His career, of course, didn’t suffer. He built his empire on high-octane blockbusters, from Mission: Impossible to Top Gun: Maverick. While imagining Tom Cruise wielding Zorro’s sword is fascinating, he was too smart to take on a role that didn’t fit. And honestly? Hollywood history turned out better for it.
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