Tom Hanks once spilled the beans on a surprising regret from Angels & Demons—and nope, it wasn’t about hunting down ancient clues or dodging cryptic villains. It all revolved around his unexpected encounter—or rather, missed encounter with the Man of Steel actress.
Hanks looked back, admitting that while he unraveled Vatican mysteries, he also missed the chance to work closely with his co-star. For Hanks, it was a “what if” moment in his film journey, wishing he’d had more time to share the screen with one of cinema’s future powerhouses.
Tom Hanks Reflects on Missed Romance in Angels & Demons: No Time for Love
Tom Hanks had one playful regret about Angels & Demons: he and co-star Ayelet Zurer missed their chance to “make out or go to bed,” as he quipped, due to the relentless pace of the plot.
In a 2009 Parade interview, Hanks revealed that a love scene was once part of the plan, but his character’s frantic mission to stop Vatican murders meant romance had to take a backseat. Jokingly lamenting, he said:
We really don’t have time to make out or go to bed when Cardinals are being killed on the hour. We tried to work it into the screenplay over and over again. We were like, ‘Isn’t there a bigger car with a bigger backseat?’
Hanks added,
But we were stuck with an Alfa Romeo so we didn’t have an opportunity to grab some smooching on the way to the Pantheon or the Piazza Del Poppolo. It’s my loss, but I think it did make it easier for Ayelet.
Hanks, known more for his everyman charm than steamy scenes, also once surprised Emily Blunt with his unexpected prowess in Charlie Wilson’s War. The actor played a flamboyant congressman, and Blunt recalled Hanks’ unexpected swagger in a GQ interview:
And also because Tom Hanks is not known for these kind of scenes, for being that kind of guy – and Charlie Wilson was a massive player, he was really promiscuous. And sexy! Tom was so really good at that. He’s really sexy.
Even though Hanks typically avoided love scenes, he shared insights with Viola Davis in 2016 about his Hollywood pet peeves. He also pointed out the surreal perfection of fictional romance: “The women’s lip gloss is always perfectly applied.”
Tom Hanks’ humorous take on movie romance keeps us guessing—maybe he’ll get that scene next time!
Tom Hanks Says No to Superhero Worlds, Citing “Depth” Over Spectacle
Tom Hanks revealed he’s never had “conversations” with DC’s James Gunn or Marvel’s Kevin Feige about joining their universes. “I’m not in their wheelhouse,” he told Happy Sad Confused podcast host Josh Horowitz, noting he’s got his hands full with his own projects. Known for classics like Forrest Gump, Big, and A League of Their Own, Hanks starred in Here alongside Robin Wright.
Reflecting on comic book movies, he recalled the early days of superhero adaptations: “The technology did not exist…now it does.” Still, he believes fans want more than spectacle, saying, “The story is what? And the theme is right?” For Tom Hanks, depth is the real superpower.
Angels & Demons is available to watch on AMC & Apple TV.
