Both Tom Cruise & Bon Jovi Made Uncredited Cameos In The Young Guns Franchise
Tom Cruise and rocker Jon Bon Jovi have a strange Young Guns cameo trend in common, with both having mute appearances as characters who get gunned down in the first and second movies, respectively. Young Guns duology had a hell of a cast, with the likes of Viggo Mortensen, Alan Ruck and John Wayne's son Patrick playing supporting roles.
It's a fairly common piece of trivia that Tom Cruise has a tiny cameo in Young Guns, playing a gunman in the finale who is gunned down by Casey Siemaszko's Charlie. Reportedly, Cruise was visiting his pal Emilio Estevez during filming, and having never taken part in a gunfight onscreen before, was given a chance to dress up and play cowboy for a day. Emilio Estevez seemingly repaid Tom Cruise's Young Guns cameo by appearing in an uncredited role in 1996's Mission: Impossible.
Young Guns 3 Must Keep This Hidden Cameo Tradition Alive
During a July 2024 interview on the Inside of You podcast, Lou Diamond Phillips revealed that despite a third Young Guns having been written and prepped, the rights holders "put the kibosh on it" for the moment. Time will tell if the third adventure ever mounts up, but with renewed interest in the Brat Pack thanks to Andrew McCarthy's Brats documentary, maybe it could finally move ahead.
If Young Guns 3 happens, it should keep the tradition of hiding a megastar in the background of a random scene alive. The films could keep things in the Brat Pack family, and give a hidden cameo to the likes of Rob Lowe or Demi Moore. Unfortunately, Kiefer Sutherland's Doc was gunned down in Young Guns 2, but perhaps he could appear next time as an extra gunned down by Estevez's older Billy the Kid. If the filmmakers want to aim sky high with this cameo gag, somebody should give the Brat Pack adjacent Robert Downey Jr. a call.
