Los Angeles made a grand entrance as the next Olympic host by showcasing Tom Cruise in a thrilling skydiving stunt during the Paris Olympics closing ceremony. Taking on his iconic Ethan Hunt role from Mission: Impossible, Cruise stunned the audience by descending from the top of the Stade de France to the powerful riffs of the movie’s soundtrack.
Grammy-winning R&B artist H.E.R. kicked off the electrifying moment with a performance, setting the stage for Cruise’s dramatic 50-meter drop that left spectators in awe. After landing, Cruise greeted athletes before taking the Olympic flag from star gymnast Simone Biles. He then secured the flag to a motorcycle and sped out of the arena.
In a pre-recorded segment, Cruise was seen driving his motorcycle past the Eiffel Tower, boarding a plane, and skydiving over the Hollywood Hills. The Hollywood sign was transformed as three circles were added to form the five Olympic rings. The flag was then passed through the city by past and present U.S. Olympians, eventually reaching a beach party with performances by LA music icons, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre.
On Sunday, Cruise shared a photo on his X handle, dressed in a white shirt and black jacket from the Paris Olympics, with the caption, “Thank you, Paris! Now off to LA.” He also reposted a video of himself carrying the Olympic flag, originally shared by LA28, the official X handle of the Los Angeles Olympics, set for 2028.
In celebration of Cruise’s involvement, Paramount Pictures, the studio behind the Mission: Impossible franchise, released a tribute video after the ceremony, praising Cruise’s dedication to the craft as both an actor and producer. The caption read, “We want to take this opportunity to thank Tom for all that he has done for our industry and art forms… He’s consistently strived for the utmost competence across any and all skills that will better the story and experience for the audience.” Cruise responded to the tribute with a tweet saying, “I’m incredibly proud of all that we’ve done together. I look forward to sharing our next Mission!”
Fans of the Mission: Impossible series can anticipate the next chapter, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, which is set to premiere on May 21, 2025.