Why Tom Cruise hasn't done a sueprhero movie

Say what you want about Tom Cruise and his Scientology practice, but he's one of Hollywood's last true movie stars. In an era when hardly anyone is a bankable bet, Cruise's name generally certifies a certain high threshold at the global box office.

So why hasn't the action star dipped his toes into superhero movies, the biggest game running right now at the international box office?

Jimmy Kimmel was curious about it himself, so he asked Cruise about the topic when the actor appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to promote his new Jack Reacher movie "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back." Specifically, he wanted to know if Cruise has had any talks with Marvel or DC about a possible role.

It turns out it's been a nonstarter for Cruise.

"No," Cruise told Kimmel. "Look, I really enjoy those films a lot. But I make the 'Missions' and the 'Reachers.' Just different kinds of films."

Indeed, as a star and a producer of both the "Mission: Impossible" and "Jack Reacher" franchises, Cruise has staked his name on slightly more realistic (only slightly) action fare than what he see in the comic-book realm.

And it sounds like Cruise doesn't want to change up his formula any time soon.

You can watch Tom Cruise answer Jimmy Kimmel's question below: