Tom Cruise – as Ethan Hunt – is saving the world (again) in the upcoming Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning. However, the ageless action star took a moment from insisting on doing his own stunts for his 2025 movie release to talk about another explosive title: the highly anticipated Ballerina, the upcoming John Wick spin-off led by Ana de Armas. Cruise did not hold back, and now, I’m even more excited to see the film!
Mexican film reviewer Javier Ibarreche posted a video to Instagram, which was recorded at the London premiere of The Final Reckoning. It was at the event that Ibarreche caught up with the leading man himself and shot the breeze. While highlighting the movies he’s excited to see this summer, the Top Gun veteran dropped a candid review of De Armas’ solo outing in the John Wick Universe. The 62-year-old Hollywood A-lister reports about the upcoming action flick:
I just saw the movie… it kicks ass. You’re gonna love it.
That’s not just polite premiere banter. The Jerry Maguire alum was beaming, clearly impressed by what he’d seen. For those who might not know, Ballerina features Keanu Reeves reprising his role as the gun-fu legend John Wick and follows de Armas’ Eve Maccaro, a lethal ballerina out for revenge. And, if Tom Cruise — a man who literally pilots helicopters and runs full-speed through explosions for a living — says your film “kicks ass,” that’s one hell of a compliment.
Of course, Cruise’s praise didn’t come out of nowhere. He and de Armas have been seen together several times recently, sparking tabloid whispers about a possible romantic relationship. The duo were spotted sharing dinner in London around Valentine’s Day and have reportedly taken more than one helicopter ride together; yes, one of those piloted by The Mummy actor himself.
However, according to recent reports by People, the relationship between the two A-listers is purely professional, with sources close to both actors stating that they’re collaborators and “just friends.” On the flip side, we know that de Armas and Cruise are starring in a movie together, and the new details surrounding that project sound pretty exciting.
In a recent interview on Good Morning America, Ana de Armas added fuel to the work-focused narrative, revealing that she and Cruise are actively developing multiple projects together. “Not just one, but a few,” she said, name-dropping Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman and Mission: Impossible maestro Christopher McQuarrie as key players in their upcoming collaborations.
Tom Cruise’s endorsement of Ballerina does more than stoke my curiosity; it suggests the John Wick franchise has legs well beyond its original lead. And with de Armas taking the spotlight and earning approval from the genre’s reigning king of mayhem, expectations just shot through the roof, and I can’t wait to catch it when it hits theaters on June 6th!
As for Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, it hits theaters on May 23. Cruise’s latest has already been shown to critics, and many think it’s a solid wrap-up for the series.