The Adam Project's Original Plan Would've Made One Scene Even Better
Paramount originally had a different plan for The Adam Project, one that would have made one scene in particular even better. Combining classic elements of a time travel story with a family drama, the film starring Ryan Reynolds managed to deliver a compelling journey while entertaining viewers with a fun sci-fi adventure. The Adam Project continues Ryan Reynolds' trend of working on original IPs that feature stellar cast and high production value. The Adam Project was directed by Shawn Levy, who will direct Deadpool 3.
The Adam Project tells the story of the dystopian year 2050 in which flights to the past are a possibility. The movie puts audiences right in the middle of the action as pilot Adam Reed, played by Ryan Reynolds, attempts to make a time jump aboard what appears to be a stolen ship. This begins Adam's journey into time, in which he encounters not only his younger self but also the ghosts of his past.
Years before The Adam Project became a Ryan Reynolds Netflix project, Paramount was looking to Tom Cruise to star in the time travel movie. The Top Gun and Mission: Impossible actor has always had a solid relationship with the studio, but the match in this case ended up not happening. Given what was seen in Ryan Reynolds' version, The Adam Project would have been a good fit for Tom Cruise — especially considering the spaceship dogfights. The very first scene of The Adam Project was already focused on the piloting skills of its main character, and later in the film, there was a spaceship chase worthy of a Top Gun scene. Given Tom Cruise's track of piloting fighter jets both on camera and in real life, The Adam Project's spaceship dogfight could have been even better.
It would have been interesting to see how Tom Cruise's more realistic approach to dangerous stunts and action scenes in his films would blend with a dogfight crafted as a sci-fi scene. The design of the ships in The Adam Project doesn't necessarily resemble anything that exists in today's world, so the practical approach that Tom Cruise likes would be a challenge. That said, Tom Cruise's expertise as a pilot would add an extra layer of realism to The Adam Project's universe, something that would make the film's sci-fi elements better blend in with current technology and cause the impression that everything that was happening on the screen was really possible. Cruise would most likely have notes on the scene and how it should play out, something that would require a pretty solid collaboration between star and director.
The Adam Project worked fine with Ryan Reynolds, but the spaceship pilot aspect of the main character could have been even better if Tom Cruise had starred in it. Granted, The Adam Project would have been a very different movie with a completely different lead actor, especially if it had been produced a decade ago as originally planned. Either way, Ryan Reynolds managed to sell himself as an experienced pilot and contributed other aspects to Adam Reed's character.