THE CATEGORY
CABINET

They land on Cruise and Hanks as the best theoretical swap, with a preference for Cruise in the Travolta role.

The group says Tom Hanks is the clearer fit overall, while Cruise-as-Gosling would also have worked.

The discussion ends in a split, with strong arguments for both Cruise and Hanks but no clear final consensus.

The room decides Cruise is the better fit because the role needs his mix of sex appeal and vulnerability.

CR picked Cruise because it would become a comedy, while acknowledging Hanks was the obvious answer.

They split the roles by choosing Hanks for Preston and Cruise for Mike Dexter.

They prefer Cruise in the Matt Dillon role, with Hanks suggested as a possible fit elsewhere.

The hosts settled on Cruise as the better fit because of his neurotic energy and ability to play fast-talking romantic weirdness.

They conclude Cruise is the more entertaining high-upside podcast guest, even though Hanks feels safer as a co-host.

They both prefer Cruise for the role and imagine him playing it around the Jerry Maguire/Vanilla Sky era.

They choose Cruise because the part needs a sharp, aggrieved, hyper-competent leading man more than Hanks’s brand of everyman.

They choose Cruise as the stronger Falco casting, though Hanks is also considered plausible.

The room agreed Cruise could handle Lecter and basically every male role, while Hanks would fit Crawford.

They agree Hanks fits the movie's everyman father role better than Cruise.

They land on Hanks as the better choice for the Buttermaker type.

They treat Crew as a Cruise role and Scarborough as a possible Hanks role in the era’s star matrix.

After debating younger-era versions of both stars, they land on Hanks as the better Marty choice.

After debating the usual “funnier with Cruise” question, they choose Hanks as the better overall fit for Ruben.

After debating both options, they settle on Cruise as the better fit for Oliver Rose.