Hollywood needs younger movie stars. A 2023 study by the National Research Group (NRG) asked people to name actors who would make them interested in seeing a movie in theaters. The youngest actor in the top 10, Kevin Hart, is 44, and the average age of the top 20 was around 57 (via Puck). Tom Holland, Margot Robbie, Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya are off to promising starts as stars, but they need more teammates. Like how he saved the day in “Top Gun: Maverick,” Glen Powell is reporting for duty as Hollywood’s next movie star.
Powell, 35, has all the tools to earn that title. Backed by talent and good looks, Powell’s charisma is off the charts. He’s always the coolest guy in the room, both on and off the screen. There’s a likeability to Powell that can’t be taught. While Leonardo DiCaprio and Denzel Washington cast a halo of mystique, Powell oozes relatability and approachability. He feels like the type of actor who would have a beer with you at the local dive bar.
Powell started his career as a scene-stealing supporting actor. Now, he's a legitimate leading man, who can demand a quote of around $5 million (via Variety). Powell’s popularity will only rise over the next few months thanks to his starring roles in “Hit Man” and “Twisters.” Buy stock now because the “Summer of Glen Powell” is here.
Glen Powell stole the show in ‘Everybody Wants Some!!’
To quote Powell’s friend and fellow Texan Matthew McConaughey, “Sometimes you’ve got to go back to move forward.” Before Powell takes center stage this summer, it’s important to go back to find when his star first began to shine. Apologies to fans of “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over,” “The Expendables 3” and “Scream Queens,” the role where Powell first stood out was playing Finnegan in “Everybody Wants Some!!”
Serving as the spiritual sequel to “Dazed and Confused,” Richard Linklater’s “Everybody Wants Some!!” follows a group of college baseball players in Texas during the first weekend of school in 1980. Powell’s Finnegan is one of the upperclassmen who takes the freshmen under his wing. Unsurprisingly, Powell steals the show because, once again, he’s the coolest guy in the room. It’s the first time I saw Powell and said, “Who’s that guy?"
Whether he’s singing “Rapper’s Delight” or picking up women by telling them about his average penis, Powell’s charm is undeniable. On paper, you should hate Finnegan. He exaggerates stories, is good at everything and probably gets anything he wants. Everyone probably knows someone like Finnegan. Yet, it’s impossible to hate him. Everyone, including the audience, is attracted to Powell's magnetic performance. Finnegan in “Everybody Wants Some!!” is Powell's version of McConaughey’s Wooderson in “Dazed and Confused.” Many, including myself, left “Everybody Wants Some!!” with the same thought: Powell has “it.”
Hangman helps Powell soar to new heights
After a small role in “Hidden Fences,” Powell proved rom-coms were in his wheelhouse with his delightful performance in Netflix's “Set It Up.” Powell’s reputation grew, but he needed a true breakout role in a massive film to show audiences his A-list potential. Enter Tom Cruise and “Top Gun: Maverick.”
According to Powell, he originally auditioned for Rooster but lost the role to Miles Teller. However, Cruise asked to meet with Powell, hoping he would still join the movie. It’s this meeting where Cruise, the biggest movie star in Hollywood today, shared advice that would change the course of Powell’s career. Cruise told Powell to choose great movies, not great roles. Choose great films, and then, make the role great.
Knowing that advice now, it makes sense why Powell accepted the role of Hangman in “Top Gun: Maverick.” Hangman is the sequel’s version of Val Vilmer’s Iceman. Hangman is the cocky, arrogant heel and main rival to Rooster. Hangman is a jerk, but Powell’s smile and bravado are so infectious that you put up with his antics and hope he’ll be a hero. It’s fitting that Powell auditioned to play Han Solo because Hangman is “Top Gun: Maverick’s” version of Han Solo. Teller receives the emotional scenes in “Top: Gun Maverick,” but Powell saves the day in the film's climax and looks cool doing it.
2024 is the summer of Glen Powell
While these next few months will become the summer of Glen Powell, the last five months have also belonged to Powell thanks to the success of “Anyone but You.” While I believed “Anyone but You” would be a minor hit, I thought Sony should have moved the release date from December to Valentine’s Day.
Luckily for Powell, I’m a writer and not a studio executive. “Anyone but You” became a box office juggernaut, grossing over $215 million on a $25 million budget. Powell and his co-star, Syndey Sweeney, are now two of the hottest names in Hollywood. “Anyone but You” is now reaching a massive new audience on Netflix, similar to how Jennifer Lawrence’s “No Hard Feelings” became a hit for the streamer months after its theatrical release.
Speaking of Netflix, Powell’s next film, “Hit Man,” arrives June 7 on the streamer. Powell plays Gary Johnson, a college professor who begins working for the cops as a fake hitman. Things get complicated when Gary falls in love with one of his clients, Maddy Masters (Adria Arjona).
Powell co-produced and co-wrote the film with Linklater, marking their third star-director collaboration. Early reviews of “Hit Man” have been overwhelmingly positive, with a score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Early footage showcases Powell doing what he does best: charming the pants off of everyone.
One month after “Hit Man,” Powell stars in “Twisters,” the standalone sequel to 1996’s “Twisters.” Powell plays Tyler Owens, one of the featured storm chasers. In the trailer, Owens is hamming it up in a cowboy hat, wooing a crowd with his energy and aura. Owens then partners with Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) to chase the bigger-than-expected storm. The edge-of-your-seat action looks promising. With good reviews, “Twisters” will likely become one of summer 2024’s biggest hits. One thing is certain — Powell will be, you guessed it, the coolest guy in the room.
What’s next for Powell? He recently landed the starring role in Edgar Wright’s “The Running Man” reboot. According to Deadline’s Justin Kroll, Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth were once considered for the role that eventually went to Powell, cementing his status as a top dog in Hollywood. Powell is also expected to reprise his role as Hangman in “Top Gun 3.”
Powell stole scenes in ensembles and became a charming rom-com lead. Now, he’s entering his blockbuster and prestige movie phases. In a few years, Powell could be one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood. I wouldn’t bet against it. Until then, enjoy the "Summer of Glen Powell."
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