What movie or project recently made Glen Powell such a huge Hollywood name?

Glen Powell had been working in Hollywood for years in supporting roles, but it was really a combination of projects in 2022 and 2023 that elevated him to genuine leading man status. The biggest catalyst was Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, where he played the cocky and charismatic Hangman alongside Tom Cruise. The film became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, earning over 1.4 billion dollars worldwide, and Powell's performance stood out even in a crowded ensemble cast. His natural charm and screen presence caught the attention of audiences and industry insiders alike, and many felt he nearly stole scenes from the legendary Cruise himself. Following that massive success, Powell starred in the romantic comedy Anyone But You in late 2023, opposite Sydney Sweeney. The film had a modest theatrical run initially but then became a genuine phenomenon on streaming, becoming one of the most-watched films on Netflix for an extended period. It demonstrated that Powell had real romantic lead appeal and could carry a film on his own star power rather than just being part of a larger ensemble. The chemistry between Powell and Sweeney generated enormous buzz, and the film's unexpected streaming success proved his drawing power with audiences. He also appeared in Richard Linklater's Hit Man in 2023, which premiered at film festivals and received strong critical acclaim. In that film Powell plays a mild-mannered professor who moonlights as a fake hitman for police sting operations, and his performance was widely praised as showing genuine range and comedic timing beyond what audiences had seen from him before. The film further cemented the idea that Powell was not just a pretty face or an action movie presence but a genuinely versatile actor capable of leading different kinds of stories. The combination of these projects happening in relatively quick succession created a perfect storm for his rise. Top Gun gave him mainstream blockbuster credibility, Anyone But You gave him romantic lead status and proved he could open a film for general audiences, and Hit Man gave him critical respect. Hollywood tends to respond to that kind of momentum, and Powell quickly found himself attached to major projects including Twisters, the sequel to the 1996 disaster film, where he took on the lead role. That film came out in 2024 and performed well at the box office, further solidifying his status as a bankable star who could carry a summer tentpole release. Powell himself has spoken about how the industry works in terms of momentum and timing, and his rise is a good example of how years of smaller work can suddenly click into place when the right projects align. He had appeared in films like Scream Queens, Everybody Wants Some, Set It Up, and Devotion before his breakout, so he was not an overnight success but rather someone who had been building his craft and waiting for the right opportunities. When those opportunities came in rapid succession, he was prepared to make the most of them, and audiences responded enthusiastically to his combination of good looks, comedic instincts, and genuine acting ability.