Glen Powell Says “Top Gun” Costar Tom Cruise’s “Digger” Will ‘Stand the Test of Time’ After Wildly Divisive Reviews

Tommy McArdleFri, October 2, 2026 at 3:41 PM UTC

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Tom Cruise and Glen Powell on Sept. 28, 2026; Tom Cruise in DiggerCredit: David Jon/Getty; Warner Bros. -

Glen Powell publicly praised Tom Cruise’s new movie Digger on Instagram Thursday, Oct. 1, as the film began opening in theaters

Cruise and Powell have remained friends in the years since they made Top Gun: Maverick, and Cruise has attended premieres for Powell’s recent movies

Digger is in theaters now, and Paramount said in April that a third Top Gun movie is in development

Glen Powell is siding with Tom Cruise’s new movie Diggeras one of the most mysterious and critically divisive movies of the year hits theaters.

Powell, 37, shared a photo on Instagram of himself at the Monday, Sept. 28 premiere for Cruise’s new movie in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 1, and wrote that he enjoyed the movie in his caption.

“DIGGER!! You rarely get taken on a ride like this in the theater,” the actor wrote in his post. “Visionary spectacle, fearless performances, and getting to experience two of the greats, Tom Cruise and Alejandro Iñárritu, committing ferociously and unapologetically to their vision. Pure cinematic joy. This is one [that] is going to stand the test of time.”

Poster for Tom Cruise’s DiggerCredit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Cruise’s dark comedy-satire about an oil tycoon who endeavors to save the world from natural disaster was described as anything between “brave” and “audacious” to “baffling” when critics shared their initial reactions to the movie on social media Sept. 22. As of its release date on Oct. 2, Rotten Tomatoes’ critic-approval rating for the movie hovers ever so slightly above 50%, with an initial audience-approval rating at 66%.

Cruise memorably took Powell under his wing when they costarred in the 2022 sequel Top Gun: Maverick, which has helped propel Powell to stardom in the years since.

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The pair have maintained a friendship, and Cruise also showed support for Powell’s own movies when he publicly congratulated Powell on The Running Man’s release in November 2025.

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“Another great night out with my friends at the movies! You guys crushed it, congratulations! I laughed, was on the edge of my seat, and ate way too much popcorn,” Cruise wrote on social media at the time.

In 2024, Cruise also attended the premiere for Powell’s blockbuster Twisters, as Powell shared via his own Instagram. “When your wingman follows you into the storm… 😎🌪️🇬🇧,” he wrote in a caption to that post.

Glen Powell and Tom Cruise on April 3, 2025Credit: Greg Doherty/Getty

Cruise’s new movie sees him play an unruly oil magnate on a mission to prove he is humanity’s hero “before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything,” per an official logline for the film.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu directed Digger, which also stars Jesse Plemons, Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed, Sophie Wilde, Emma D’Arcy, Michael Stuhlbarg and John Goodman.

As for Powell and Cruise’s future together, Paramount Pictures co-head Josh Greenstein shared during an appearance at CinemaCon in April that a third Top Gun movie is “officially in development with a script underway.”

Digger is in theaters now.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”