EXCLUSIVE: Why Tom Cruise 'Detests' Hollywood’s New Leading Man Favorite — 'He Looks Down on Most of His Work'

Tom Cruise is said to be privately bristling at the rise of Pedro Pascal, with sources telling RadarOnline.com the veteran star views Hollywood's new leading man as a rival whose career choices fall "way short" of his own big-screen ethos.

Cruise, 63, is enjoying another career high following the release of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, while also making headlines for his relationship with actress Ana de Armas, 37.

But insiders say that despite his success, the Top Gun actor has grown increasingly frustrated at the attention lavished on Pascal, 50, who has become Hollywood's so-called "daddy" figure through his acclaimed roles in both film and television.

One source claimed: "Tom might be in his 60s, but he has no intention of stepping aside. His drive is still as strong as ever. He has softened with time and even patched things up with Brad Pitt, but Pedro is the competitor who really bothers him now."

Another insider claimed: "It's really tied to Tom's outlook. He thinks true movie stars should stay in film rather than bouncing between movies and TV. Pedro has built his reputation doing exactly that, and Tom doesn't respect it.

"For him, the goal is packing cinemas – it's what defines his career, and he treats it with total seriousness."

Cruise has long been associated with rumors of Hollywood feuds.

During the making of the first Top Gun in 1986, Val Kilmer once described how he and Cruise had "a rivalry both on and off set," though the two eventually became close.

His decades-long tension with Pitt, 61, dating back to their work on Interview With the Vampire in 1994, was often attributed to their contrasting styles – Cruise's meticulousness versus Pitt's laid-back nature.

But Cruise surprised many by attending the premiere of Pitt's F1 drama this summer, even hugging him on the red carpet.

Sources suggest Cruise's white flag-waving with Pitt has done little to ease his irritation with Pascal.

"Tom's competitiveness has never gone away," a source claimed. "Making up with Brad was more about business than genuine sentiment – they were essentially boosting each other's projects.

"With Pedro, it's different. He's only a bit younger, but Hollywood acts like he's the fresh face of the industry, and that really irritates Tom. Plus, Tom sees himself and Brad as Hollywood icons and Pedro as a newbie."

Pascal, who turned 50 in April, has ridden a surge of popularity through roles in Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian, and The Last of Us – the latter earning him an Emmy nomination for lead actor.

This year alone, he has appeared in Materialists, Eddington, and Fantastic Four: First Steps, cementing his position as one of the busiest names in the industry.

CAA, the powerhouse agency that has represented Cruise for decades, now also represents Pascal, and insiders say the attention being showered on its new star has also rattled Cruise.

One source claimed: "Tom has always valued being CAA's leading man. Now he feels the resources and attention that once centred on him are being redirected toward Pedro, and it doesn't sit well with him."