Summary
AlthoughTom CruiseandJason Stathamshared the screen once before in 2004’sCollateral, this team-up only left viewers wishing for more.Collateralis a propulsive crime thriller starring Tom Cruise as a cold, calculated hitman who hires Jamie Foxx’s beleaguered taxi driver as his chauffeur for the night. Over the course of a long, tense evening, Cruise’s killer dispatches witnesses for a trial one by one as Foxx’s terrified hostage ferries him from place to place. Collateral is one of directorMichael Mann’s best movies, a stylish neo-noir that sees Cruise play against type as a ruthless villain.
Cruise’s performance is a revelation, but Foxx’s agitated everyman groundsCollateral’s action and ensures Mann’s movie has some much-needed humanity. However, one of the movie’s most underrated scenes occurs before Cruise’s character even meets the movie’s hero.CollateralandThe Transporterfranchisecross over briefly in the movie’s opening scene when Cruise’s character encounters a mysterious criminal played by Jason Statham. Although the two characters barely interact, Cruise and Statham’s stoic criminals make a pivotal trade while at LAX airport. This establishes Cruise’s smooth villainy while implying Statham’s character is a fellow figure from the criminal underworld.
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Jason Statham & Tom Cruise Shared The Screen In Collateral (For Just One Scene)
Collateral’s Jason Statham Cameo Crossed Over With The Transporter
InCollateral’s opening scene, Cruise’s Vincent walks into Jason Statham’s unnamed Airport Man. The two bump into each other and make a display of apologizing, switching their bags in the process. Statham’s character is never seen again, but it is heavily implied that his encounter with Vincent was part of the hitman’s criminal master plan. Vincent spends the rest of the night carrying out the assassinations of various high-profile witnesses in an upcoming trial. As such, it is fair to presume that Statham’s Airport Man was providing him with intel and weapons for this job in the opening scene.
When Collateral was released in 2004, Statham was an emerging star.
Unfortunately, despiteJason Statham playing countless action heroesin the years since the movie’s release,Cruise and Statham haven’t appeared in the same movie together since thisCollateralscene. WhenCollateralwas released in 2004, Statham was an emerging star thanks to hits likeLock, Stock, and Two Smoking BarrelsandThe Transporter. Since then, he has gone on to become a major A-list star like Cruise himself. However, as Cruise took a step away from the big screen between 2017 and 2022, the opportunities for the pair to share the screen diminished.
Statham’s Cameo In Michael Mann’s Movie Links Collateral And The Transporter
AlthoughCollateralnever confirms or denies whether Statham’s character isThe Transporter’s Frank Martin, it is pretty easy to discern whether this fan theory makes sense. Not only is the Airport Man identical to Frank, but bothCollateralandThe Transporterfranchise could reasonably take place in the same fictional universe.The Transportermoviesare a little sillier and campier in tone than Mann’s dark thriller, but Vincent’s brutal efficiency as a hired killer calls to mind Frank Martin’s unsparing approach to his work as a criminal. Statham’s character fits in the world ofCollateraland vice versa.
Collateral’s Airport Man does the same job as The Transporter’s Frank Martin.
As such, it is reasonable to assume thatCollateral’s Airport Man could beThe Transporter’s Frank Martin. However, this has never been confirmed by Mann or anyone else involved in the movie’s production. What makes the theory more compelling is the fact that the Airport Man does the same job asThe Transporter’s Frank Martin. Both men are hired by criminals to bring mysterious, valuable packages from one place to another. This is a pretty specific role, so the fact thatCollateral’s Airport Man only appears to drop a bag into the hands of another career criminal seems telling.
I Really Wish Jason Statham & Tom Cruise Would Star In A Movie Together
Statham And Cruise Are Perfectly Suited To Sharing The Screen
While the pair’s paths haven’t crossed since, it would be great to see Statham and Cruise reunited onscreen. After the high-profile failure of 2017’sThe Mummy, Cruise has become increasingly selective about the projects that he takes on. However, he is stillheadlining theMission: Impossiblefranchise, and Statham would be a perfect addition to Ethan Hunt’s ever-growing lineup of fellow spies. Statham has the opposite problem to Cruise as, between theFast & Furiousmovies, theirHobbs and Shawspinoffs, theMegmovies, theExpendablesfranchise, andThe Beekeeper’s inevitable sequel, he is a very busy man.
That said, it is hard to imagine Statham turning down a chance to work with Cruise on another action movie were the opportunity to arise. Cruise is a screen legend and remains one of the most profitable action stars in the world, despite the under performance of 2023’sMission: Impossiblesequel. As such,Jason StathamandTom Cruiseshould still reunite 20 years after their brief encounter inCollateral.
