Tom Cruise Returns in His Least Typical Role in Years

Image: Warner Bros.

Visionary filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, known for the stark intensity of Birdman and The Revenant, is finally pulling back the veil on his latest project, Digger. While the film has been shrouded in mystery for months—with previous marketing teasers focusing more on celebrating Tom Cruise’s iconic filmography than the plot itself—the first official trailer finally clarifies the chaotic, high-stakes journey audiences should expect.

<p>Critics are already drawing parallels between Cruise’s performance here and his scene-stealing, comedic turn as Les Grossman in <em>Tropic Thunder</em>. Shedding the perpetual, high-octane physicality of his <em>Mission: Impossible</em> and <em>Top Gun: Maverick</em> personas, Cruise portrays a gluttonous Southern oil mogul whose pursuit of profit triggers a looming ecological catastrophe. Forced into damage control, his character is drafted by the U.S. President (played by John Goodman) to rectify his own mess and avert global collapse.</p>

<div class="display-card video large no-badge">
    <div class="w-adsninja-video-player">
        <div class="an-ignore">
            <div class="adsninja-video-player emaki-video-player emaki-video-player-ec07784048338b8b" id="emaki-video-player-ec07784048338b8b">
                <script>
                    window.valstream = window.valstream || {};
                    window.valstream.queue = window.valstream.queue || [];
                    window.valstream.queue.push(function(){
                        const fallbackContent = `<button class="prem-player-close">x</button><video class="adsninja-video-player" id='emaki_video-ec07784048338b8b' poster="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/digger-trailer-art-cropped.jpg?fit=crop&w=1024&h=576" controls><source src="https://video.polygonimages.com/2026/07/ytmp3-gg_youtube_digger-official-trailer_media_qorte1ww3wg_001_1080p-1783949458.mp4" type="video/mp4">Your browser does not support the video tag.</video>`;
                        const fallbackToNativePlayer = function(){
                            const container = document.getElementById('emaki-video-player-ec07784048338b8b');
                            if(container) container.innerHTML = fallbackContent;
                        };
                        if(!window.an || typeof window.an.monetizeVideo !== 'function'){
                            fallbackToNativePlayer();
                        } else {
                            window.an.monetizeVideo('.emaki-video-player-ec07784048338b8b', {"name":"Instream-InContent","groupName":"content"}, {"trackingId":"in-content","playlist":[{"title":"DIGGER | Official Trailer","description":"","length":"2:38","mimeType":"video/mp4","url":"https://video.polygonimages.com/2026/07/ytmp3-gg_youtube_digger-official-trailer_media_qorte1ww3wg_001_1080p-1783949458.mp4","thumbnailLink":"https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/digger-trailer-art-cropped.jpg?fit=crop&w=1024&h=576"}]}).catch(fallbackToNativePlayer);
                        }
                    });
                </script>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>

<p>Positioned as a biting satirical comedy, the film captures the cynical absurdity reminiscent of <em>Don't Look Up</em> and the classic political farce of Stanley Kubrick’s <em>Dr. Strangelove</em>. For Cruise, <em>Digger</em> represents a calculated shift away from blockbuster action in favor of prestige storytelling; given Iñárritu’s established history with the Academy, it is clear that this collaboration is a bid for awards-season recognition.</p>

<p>While the film rests on Cruise’s shoulders, it is bolstered by an impressive supporting ensemble. The trailer offers tantalizing glimpses of Sandra Hüller (<a href="https://www.polygon.com/project-hail-mary-review-ryan-gosling/" target="_blank"><em>Project Hail Mary</em></a>) and Jesse Plemons (<a href="https://www.polygon.com/bugonia-save-the-green-planet-adaptation/" target="_blank"><em>Bugonia</em></a>). Beyond the leads, the standout performances appear to be Goodman’s weary commander-in-chief and Riz Ahmed (<a href="https://www.polygon.com/2021/1/4/22213807/sound-of-metal-wynonna-earp-best-movies-tv-to-watch-right-now/" target="_blank"><em>Sound of Metal</em></a>), who serves as a sharp-tongued moral antagonist. Michael Stuhlbarg rounds out the star-studded cast.</p>

<p><em>Digger</em> is slated for a theatrical release on Oct. 2, 2026.</p>

Source: Polygon