Shawn Levy might have declined Tom Cruise’s Days of Thunder 2 to make Ghost Rider with Ryan Gosling. After the blitzkrieg brought on by Top Gun: Maverick on a relatively dud 2022 summer box office, Tom Cruise seems super keen on legacy sequels. While a third part of the Top Gun film series is in the works, Cruise announced his second legacy sequel, and for that he chose his 36-year-old racing blockbuster, Days of Thunder. The film is supposed to be helmed by Jonathan Levine and stars Anne Hathaway opposite Cruise.

However, a recent report suggests that Levine was not the first choice for the project - Shawn Levy was.

Following months of speculation regarding a potential follow-up to Days of Thunder, summer reports confirmed that Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway are slated to lead the sequel, with 50/50 director Jonathan Levine taking the helm. However, Puck News' Matt Belloni revealed in a recent newsletter that Levine was not the studio's initial pick. 

Industry insiders report that Deadpool & Wolverine filmmaker Shawn Levy was aggressively courted for the high-profile racing project, but ultimately declined the offer. The news emerged shortly after Levy inked a fresh television agreement with Disney - pairing his 21 Laps Entertainment banner with 20th Television - while wrapping up post-production on Star Wars: Starfighter and gearing up to shoot a new Ghost Rider reboot starring Ryan Gosling next year. 

According to the Puck Newsletter, Levy ultimately opted to steer the Marvel Cinematic Universe action-horror reboot over stepping behind the wheel for Days of Thunder 2. The assignment ultimately fell to Jonathan Levine, a filmmaker whose diverse portfolio features projects like 50/50, Warm Bodies, and Long Shot. His selection was likely bolstered by stellar test screening scores for his upcoming Paramount feature, Mr. Irrelevant. The biographical sports drama, starring David Corenswet, is scheduled for a Christmas Day theatrical release.   

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Anyhow, the announcement only made the development of the project official and introduced us to the main lead. Other major details of the sequel, like the rest of the cast, remain a mystery.  

While Tom Cruise returns as Cole Trickle and Anne Hathaway has supposedly taken Nicole Kidman’s role, it remains uncertain whether any supporting cast members from Tony Scott's original 1990 feature will join Cruise for the sequel. While actors like Michael Rooker, John C. Reilly, and Cary Elwes are potential candidates to reprise their roles, nothing has been officially confirmed.

In the meantime, Paramount has officially slated Days of Thunder 2 for a June 2, 2028 theatrical release, signaling that principal photography is on track to kick off next year. Cruise is also locked in to return for Top Gun 3, though the director's chair for that project remains vacant as Joseph Kosinski is currently tied up with Universal's Miami Vice '85, which stars Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler as the undercover detectives.

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Do you think Shawn Levy would have been a better fit for Days of Thunder 2? Do let us know.