Where Did All the Movie Stars Go?

The article analyzes the crisis of the lack of movie stars in the U.S. film industry and the decline in the longevity of movie stardom. Topics discussed are appeal of Tom Cruise's movie "Top Gun: Maverick," failure of actors to build a lasting persona, influence of prejudices, capitalism, whiteness and Blackness on the film industry, the kind of industrial waste where there are fewer movies with smaller budgets and lower stakes, and actors not playing memorable original characters.