The buzz of the rumor is slight but noticeable, with reason: Tom Cruise could be the main protagonist at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, as reported by TMZ.
After the controversial opening ceremony, at the closing we will see the star of Mission: Impossiblefalling 42 meters from the roof of the Stade de France to the ground. However, details regarding Sunday's soirée are being kept secret. According to information provided by the American media and The Guardian, "neither NBC nor the Olympic Committee (IOC) have confirmed Cruise's participation". Nevertheless, the Hollywood news portal revealed that it was the actor who proposed to the IOC the initiative to connect Paris with Los Angeles, the host city of the 2028 Olympics.
The movie star, known for immersing himself in action scenes that he performs himself (we have seen him free-fall on a motorcycle, hang onto the wing of a plane, and climb the Burj Khalifa), is no stranger to the Olympic hustle and bustle of recent days. He is one of the familiar faces seen in the French capital, attending various swimming and women's gymnastics events, as well as being present at the dramatic and eccentric opening ceremony. Additionally, the actor participated in the 2004 Olympics and carried the torch through Los Angeles as part of a global journey before it arrived in Athens, its final destination.
Ethan Hunt, his character in the action saga, will come to life on August 11, when the actor rappels down carrying the Olympic flag from the top of the Parisian stadium. Furthermore, Cruise has filmed a series of stunts both in Paris and Los Angeles. It is expected that these images will be broadcast after the actor completes this supposedly scheduled feat for the culmination of these games.
According to several American media outlets, Cruise has been preparing these scenes since March. However, they indicate that "his descent went completely unnoticed" as the actor is in the midst of filming the next installment of Mission: Impossible, scheduled for release in the summer of 2025. "No one suspected that those images on the Hollywood sign had anything to do with the Olympics," they express.
These images, described by The Guardian, show the actor "riding through the streets of Paris on a motorcycle and boarding a plane" bound for La La Land. Once there, he "disembarks from the plane by throwing himself out the window before parachuting down to the Hollywood sign". Elite athletes, including a cyclist, a skater, and a volleyball player, will receive the Olympic flag from him, making their way through the city of Los Angeles, which will host the competition in 2028.
The American city, which already hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympics, will host the competition again in 2028. According to English-speaking media, the events will begin at the Coliseum, built for the first Games, and the rest of the activities will take place in a group of venues that the organizers have named Downton Sports Park.
On the other hand, the British newspaper assures that the closing ceremony of Paris 2024 will be titled Records, and will feature performances by "world-famous artists", as well as "acrobats, dancers, and circus artists". Additionally, the five Olympic rings will be the main complement of some choreographies, and there will also be "a sequence set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland". All of this will provide the audience with "a journey through time, both past and future," according to the organizers.
Although everything is still up in the air, literally, the anticipation for the dangerous scene that the 62-year-old actor will perform is massive. It remains to be seen whether his performance will be a letdown or if he will take it to the next level.