Dale Earnhardt Jr. Breaks Silence on Tom Cruise’s Days of Thunder 2 Confirmation

Dale Earnhardt Jr. made some interesting demands from Tom Cruise over a potential Days of Thunder sequel.

Dale Earnhardt Jr (via Getty), Tom Cruise (via People)

Tom Cruise‘s Days of Thunder remains iconic in the world of racing. The film became a NASCAR classic, inspiring millions to watch the stock car series back in the day. Since then, fans have continued to cherish Cruise’s performance as Cole Trickle. Now, as discussions continue over a sequel, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. has revealed what he wants to see in the movie.

What made Days of Thunder special was not just the storyline, but also its cast members. Every person in the film was perfect for their role. Dale Jr. asserted that the Days of Thunder 2 must carry forward as many original cast members as they can. He compared the situation to the Rocky film franchise, where eventually the franchise had to shift focus to Creed as Rocky became older. The former NASCAR champion claimed that he finds it difficult to see the change of guard in such films, perhaps hinting at nostalgia over the original cast members of a film.

The more of the original cast members, the better. This is very similar to the Rocky series and remakes for Rocky. But eventually, Rocky is too old to fight, and they had to shift to this Creed. That was difficult for me, just as somebody who had watched all the originals and the whole thing, one, two, three, and four and all that.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. said on Dale Jr. Download

Moreover, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a strict demand from film production Jerry Bruckheimer. The 50-year-old made it clear that Tom Cruise must return as a racing driver in Days of Thunder 2, and not as a team owner. Rather, Earnhardt Jr. wanted to see Michael Rooker‘s character, Rowdy Burns as a driver who had made the transition to team ownership. Perhaps, Cole Trickle could be racing for Burns’ team in the Cup Series.

I would need Tom Cruise to still be racing. Tom Cruise not in a race car for the entire movie doesn’t work for me. He can’t be an owner. Now, I think Rowdy Burns (played by Michael Rooker) could be an owner. I could see Rowdy Burns at this point in the storyline; he’s aged out, no longer driving and he’s now maybe some owner in the sport.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. added.

While this might seem like a surprising demand considering Trickle would be over 50 years old in today’s time. However, Brad Pitt recently starred as a returning F1 driver in Lewis Hamilton’s dream film in his mid-50s.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Names “No Brainer” Replacement for Daytona

Dale Earnhardt Jr. expects Tom Cruise’s Days of Thunder 2 to copy F1 film

Brad Pitt’s F1 film is making waves in the world of cinema. The $300 million project is nothing like ever before, with several scenes being shot during actual race weekends. While the production process of the film is definitely worth talking about, Dale Jr. reckons that Days of Thunder 2 might have a similar story line to the F1 movie.

Lewis Hamilton and Brad Pitt (via Getty)

The F1 film shows Brad Pitt competing against a young driver, played by Damson Idris. The veteran racer helps shape up his rookie teammate for the future. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was adamant that a sequel to Days of Thunder will also need to have a similar story line, featuring the next generation of talent.There has been no news of the story for Days of Thunder 2 just yet.

I feel like we’re going to have to accept some younger cast members. There’s no choice. There’s going to be this young driver that’s very similar to what we’re seeing in the F1 movie, where you have the old guard and the new guard, right? I just can’t see any way around that. But that’ll be a part of that either makes or breaks the movie.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. explained

Though, Dale Earnhardt Jr. might be correct with his predictions. The most important part for racing fans would be to see Tom Cruise back in the NASCAR field as Cole Trickle. However, it will be interesting to see what the filmmakers come up with once the sequel is given a green light.

Tags: Dale Earnhardt Jr Tom Cruise

#About the Author

Armaan Agarwal

(3066 Articles Published)

Armaan Agarwal is a Motorsport Sub-editor and Content Manager at Firstsportz. He has written over 2500 articles with around 1000 edited pieces under his belt. Armaan has years of experience in the field of journalism, having followed Formula 1 and NASCAR for almost a decade. Nico Rosberg's title victory at the 2016 Abu Dhabi GP against Lewis Hamilton remains engraved in his memory. He started his journey with his own motorsport blog in 2017. At Firstsportz, Armaan provides deep insight into the sport for fans through his special editorial pieces. Armaan has several other skills, including social media content creation, script writing, and debating. He completed his Bachelors of Arts in Mass Communication with a gold medal from St. Xavier’s University Kolkata. Presently, he is pursuing his Post Graduation in Broadcast Journalism at the India Today Media Institute with a keen eye at the ever-evolving dynamics of a newsroom. Apart from motorsport, he is an avid reader and keeps himself up to date with current affairs.

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