Tom Cruise dramatic stunt at the Olympic closing ceremony in Paris has received a mixed reaction from viewers.
To mark the handover from Paris to Los Angeles, where the 2028 games will be hosted, the Mission: Impossible actor took center stage. Dramatically abseiled off the Stade de France roof, landed in a crowd of fans before hopping on a motorbike and riding out of the stadium while holding the Olympic flag.
A pre-recorded film then showed the actor, who is known for execution all of his own stunts, travelling through Paris and driving onto a plane. Before he eventually parachuted down to the ground, landing at the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles.
Elsewhere at the closing ceremony, American musicians Billie Eilish and H.E.R performed to showcase Californian talent. While “Can’t Stop” by the LA band Red Hot Chili Peppers was played during Cruise’s Mission: Impossible moment.
Cruise’s appearance had already been predicted by some fans, since he was spotted several times in Paris in the past fortnight. While cheering on the US team in the swimming relay and watching multi-medal-winning American gymnast Simone Biles in action.
Tom Cruise Closing Ceremony
On social media, some fans suggested that the stunt was a little too predictable.
“Happy Olympics Closing Ceremony or as it’s better known Tom Cruise Is Gonna Do a Crazy Stunt Day.” Wrote one viewer on X/Twitter. As another called the stunt “totally unsurprising,” adding. I can imagine Tom Cruise doing [something] like this on a casual Tuesday”.
Others marveled at the Mission: Impossible-style stunt, with one viewer writing: “[Cruise] did all of his favorite stunts. Jumped off of a building, rode a motorcycle, ran a bit, climbed a bit. And of course jumped out of an airplane. A Mission Impossible supercut.”
An American viewer remarked that it set the tone for the spectacle. That will be the LA games, predicting it will be “obnoxious all over the place”.
Others noticed the difference between the artistic decisions from the French side versus the US side, with one X/Twitter user joking. “France: ‘This was nice let’s do some art and some weird stuff to close the show and it’ll be nice’.
