There are certain roles that I believe just couldn't have been done without Tom Cruise. This was not one of them.
Here is a list of actors I think could've starred in this movie instead and done the same if not better during it's time period:
Will Smith (not now, I'm talking about irobot era Will Smith)
Keanu Reeves
Brad Pitt
Matt Damon
Leonardo DiCaprio
Denzel Washington
and if he were a little younger at the time, Harrison Ford.