From Joseph Kosinski's Oblivion, a derivative film about derivatives, to the more or less solid
auteurist permutations of the Mission: Impossible
franchise, the results have varied, but Cruise's reputation as the sort of star who can get moderately interesting pulp bankrolled and realized by moderately interesting talents has deservedly persisted.
Marvel has been able to avoid
franchise fatigue — with the exception of a couple of hiccups, like whatever the hell Thor: The Dark World was — by incorporating more
auteurist visions to its films in recent years.