Tom Cruise Just Confirmed He’s Getting Back Behind the Wheel for Real in ‘Days of Thunder 2′

Tom Cruise has built an entire career around insisting that his stunts happen for real rather than through visual trickery, whether that means piloting actual fighter jets or hanging off the side of an actual airplane. That reputation has followed him through decades of blockbusters, and it’s clearly not going away anytime soon as he gears up for one of his most personal sequels yet.

That commitment to authenticity extends directly into his upcoming return to NASCAR racing, a world he first brought to the screen more than three decades ago. With the sequel officially confirmed and cameras eventually set to roll, Cruise has already made clear exactly how hands-on he intends to be behind the wheel this time around.

Tom Cruise confirmed he will be driving the actual NASCAR cars during production of ‘Days of Thunder 2.’ “Here’s the thing: if I’m making a movie about airplanes, I’m flying them. I’m driving,” Cruise said during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

That approach lines up with everything Cruise has built his career on since ‘Top Gun,’ the film that first launched his collaboration with producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott. Speaking with McAfee, Cruise traced his love of racing all the way back to his youth, recalling how he’d take cars onto back streets before he even had his license, racing on country roads and studying dirt tracks long before ‘Days of Thunder’ ever became a movie.

Cruise confirmed the sequel is set for a June 2028 release, revisiting his character Cole Trickle more than three decades after the original 1990 film first introduced audiences to the fictional NASCAR driver. He also confirmed Anne Hathaway is joining the cast in a significant new role, describing her character as an owner and engineer within the story.

“After the first one, I was thinking about how can I do it, how can I seat the audience into another journey with this character,” Cruise explained. “We’re going for it, and I feel like we really got something. Annie is enormously talented. She’s going to be an owner-engineer. I found a way in.”

Cruise also spoke directly to the NASCAR garage at Daytona International Speedway ahead of the sport’s regular season finale, telling drivers he plans to treat the sport with genuine respect as he brings ‘Days of Thunder 2’ to life. He described wanting to capture the same joy, humor, and community spirit that defines NASCAR, promising fans a sequel that honors the sport’s culture rather than just using it as a backdrop.

That same conversation with McAfee also touched on broader industry topics, including Cruise’s enthusiastic support for Paramount CEO David Ellison’s ambitious plan to produce 30 movies a year following the studio’s merger with Warner Bros. Cruise framed that plan as part of a larger vision for increasing opportunities across the industry, echoing comments he’s made elsewhere about wanting the film business to thrive as a genuine community.

With Cruise’s track record of insisting on real, practical stunts across the ‘Mission: Impossible’ and ‘Top Gun’ franchises, his promise to actually drive the NASCAR cars for ‘Days of Thunder 2’ feels entirely consistent with the persona he’s spent decades building. Fans eager for more details will likely need to wait for further updates as production moves closer to that 2028 release date.

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