Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio Del Toro sit down with ET’s Nischelle Turner to chat ‘One Battle After Another,’ in theaters on Sept. 26. Leo weighs in on Brad Pitt’s return to the world of ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ for a Cliff Booth-centered sequel, essentially confirming he won’t be back as Rick Dalton. Instead, he’s focused on this poliical satire, which the 50-year-old jokes paints him as ‘the opposite of Tom Cruise’ when it comes to ‘Mission:Impossible’-style stunt work.
Leonardo DiCaprio Jokes He’s ‘the Opposite’ of Tom Cruise in New Film ‘One Battle After Another’ (Exclusive)
In an exclusive interview with ET’s Nischelle Turner, Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio Del Toro opened up about their new political satire and action thriller, One Battle After Another, hitting theaters on September 26. While fans eagerly await the highly anticipated sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, DiCaprio confirmed he will not be reprising his role as Rick Dalton. Instead, he’s fully focused on this new project, which humorously casts him as “the opposite” of Tom Cruise when it comes to performing daring stunts.
When asked about the possibility of a cameo in the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel, DiCaprio expressed excitement for Brad Pitt’s return as Cliff Booth but made it clear that he won’t be involved. “I think it’s the continuation of the great Cliff Booth on to different things. That’s incredible,” DiCaprio said, confirming that filming is already underway without him.
In One Battle After Another, DiCaprio stars alongside Benicio Del Toro, who sports a man bun and plays a father struggling to raise his daughter. The plot thickens when his daughter is kidnapped, forcing him to take action—though, as DiCaprio joked, his character doesn’t exactly embody the typical action hero. “This man doesn’t take his bathrobe off,” DiCaprio quipped. “He’s trying to raise a daughter and he doesn’t know how to do it right. When his daughter gets captured, why take the bathrobe off? You got to go get your girl. It’s like the opposite of, you know, Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible, right? He does everything wrong. He doesn’t land any of the stunts. So, if he could, he would have brought his sofa with him.”
Del Toro’s character delivers a memorable line in the film: “You know what freedom is? No fear.” DiCaprio playfully compared this to Tom Cruise’s fearless stunt work, saying, “I’m a fan. We look at Tom and we go like, what is he going to jump from? He’s doing the real, real.”
The film also stars Sean Penn, Tiana Taylor, and Regina Hall, promising a blend of political satire and thrilling action. DiCaprio shared a glimpse into his off-screen life as well, revealing his favorite home outfit: “Oh, that was just my robe. Like bathrobe and shorts. Bare feet.”
As One Battle After Another prepares to hit theaters, DiCaprio’s candid humor and chemistry with Del Toro offer fans a fresh look at the actor’s range—far from the high-flying stunts of Tom Cruise, but no less compelling.
