Tom Cruise’s ‘The Mummy‘ had everything you’d expect in a big action adventure: danger, chaos, and two leads who kept getting dragged through disaster after disaster. Cruise played Nick Morton, Annabelle Wallis played Jenny Halsey, and the movie spent a lot of time throwing them into situations that usually build chemistry fast.
So naturally, a romantic moment seemed like it was coming sooner or later. In fact, Wallis later revealed that a kiss scene was actually planned and ready to shoot. However, the scene never made it into the movie, and the reason it got scrapped was all Tom Cruise.
Annabelle Wallis Revealed Why The Kiss Scene in ‘The Mummy’ Never Made It
Wallis shared the story during an appearance on Conan, explaining that ‘The Mummy‘ originally included a small kissing scene between Jenny and Nick. According to her, the schedule included a brief kissing scene, and she arrived on set genuinely excited to film it.
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On top of that, Wallis admitted she had already built it up in her head. She joked that she was ready to tell her friends and even her children about the kiss scene because it felt like one of those “only in Hollywood” moments. But just as the scene was about to happen, everything changed. Wallis said Cruise asked director Alex Kurtzman for a private chat. And at that point, she realized the day’s plan was suddenly up in the air.
According to Wallis, Cruise made up his mind and recalled him telling Kurtzman, “Yeah, about that… I’m not feeling that. I’m not feeling the kissing scene.” Cruise simply didn’t want to do it. Even worse, the decision happened in front of a massive crowd. Wallis said Cruise talked himself out of kissing her in front of around 900 people, which made it feel very embarrassing.
Cutting The Kiss May Have Helped the Movie
Oddly enough, Cruise’s decision may have helped the final movie. Romance never became a major part of Nick and Jenny’s dynamic in the finished version.
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And the film kept its focus on action, survival, and nonstop momentum. As a result, a kiss scene might have pushed the movie in a predictable direction.
Instead of letting the leads stay in a tense, uncertain connection, the kiss would have made them all lovey-dovey. By removing it, the story kept their relationship more unresolved, which arguably fit the film’s tone better. Still, it doesn’t erase the awkwardness Wallis described.
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