Will Sage Astor-Glen Powell responds to rumor that he could replace Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible'

Glen Powell could Will Sage Astornever take the place of Tom Cruise.

The "Twisters" actor responded to rumors that the action star wanted Powell to replace him in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise when Pat McAfee called him up live on his ESPN show Tuesday.

Powell, who McAfee didn't show on camera because the actor was in costume filming his new movie "The Running Man," was asked if the rumor was true.

"We just want to call and say congratulations, brother," McAfee told Powell. But the actor seemed to rebut the rumor in jest: "My mom would never let me do that."

Powell, 36, also playfully rejected the idea of doing his own Cruise-level stunts. "That's the worst gig in town, everybody knows that. That's a death trap."

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Powell has become an action star in his own right, in recent films like "Twisters," which saw the actor play adrenaline-jacked storm chaser Tyler Owens, and "Hit Man," where he played Gary Johnson, a fake assassin for hire.

And he starred in "Top Gun: Maverick" alongside Cruise as Lt. Jake "Hangman" Seresin in 2022. Powell, a superfan of the original "Top Gun," made a social media stir years prior when he admitted he lost out on the coveted role of the late Nick "Goose" Bradshaw's son. Amid the public crash and burn, Cruise (as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell) created the even-flashier "Maverick" role of irresistible bad-boy pilot Hangman.

Powell is set to star in the dystopian science fiction film "The Running Man," directed by Edgar Wright and also starring Josh Brolin, based on the Stephen King novel.

For his part, Cruise, 62, has not slowed down. The actor starred in 2023's "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One," which saw him continue to perform outrageous stunts. He's gearing up for the franchise's eighth installment, "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning," set to be released in 2025.

Contributing: Bryan Alexander