Tom Cruise may have been the man who saved Hollywood’s ass, according to Steven Spielberg, but the Top Gun: Maverick star wasn’t in the Dolby Theatre tonight to save the Academy Awards.
Turned out that while Cruise was missed, as was Avatar kingpin James Cameron, their star power wasn’t necessary to fuel one of the more watchable if not conventional Oscars of the 21st century. In that sense, this was an Academy Awards with few surprises where almost everyone stuck to the script.
Source: 2023 Oscars Review: Michelle Yeoh’s Big Win Caps A Conventional Success Ceremony – Deadline