Paris, France — In a spectacle that blended high-octane Hollywood action with Olympic tradition, movie superstar Tom Cruise delivered the Olympic flag from Paris to the next host city, Los Angeles, during the dazzling closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Summer Games at the Stade de France. The 62-year-old actor, renowned for performing his own dangerous stunts as the spy Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible franchise, made a breathtaking entrance that left thousands of athletes, who were watching, and spectators gasping.
A Plunge and a Global Relay
The moment unfolded when Cruise dramatically abseiled—or rappelled—down 42 metres (137ft) from the roof of the Stade de France onto the arena floor. This move, a spectacular combination of a live event and Mission Impossible style action, was the start of the ceremonial handover to Los Angeles for the LA28 Games. Cruise leaves Paris 2024 gasping as he plunges 137 feet.
On the stadium floor, Cruise received the Olympic flag. It was formally handed over by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and US Gymnastics multi-gold medallist Simone Biles. He then mounted a motorcycle, Olympic flag in tow, and sped out of the stadium.
The live event transitioned seamlessly into a spectacular pre-recorded short film showcasing an epic global relay journey from Paris to Hollywood. The sequence, which played out to the energising track “Can’t Stop” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, included Cruise performing further daring feats. He was shown piloting an aircraft, skydiving, and finally parachuting down to land next to the iconic Hollywood Sign. He even grabbed the Olympic flag and began the global relay ending at the Hollywood Sign, which had been digitally augmented with the Olympic Rings. The spectacular stunt was a dramatic way to hand over the Olympic Flag to the United States.
Data Behind the Daredevil
Tom Cruise’s willingness to perform such elaborate, real-life stunts is not just a personal trademark, but a massive commercial driver. His action films, particularly the Mission: Impossible series, consistently achieve global box office success.
Franchise Box Office: The Mission: Impossible film series, featuring Cruise as Ethan Hunt, is one of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time, having earned over $4.35 billion worldwide across all entries (as of late 2023/early 2024 data).
Highest Grosser: The 2018 installment, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, remains the highest-grossing film in the series, with a worldwide gross of approximately $791 million.
Career Peak: Cruise’s biggest film success to date, Top Gun: Maverick (2022), grossed nearly $1.5 billion worldwide, underscoring his global draw as an action star.
The spectacle at the Paris 2024 closing ceremony not only promoted the upcoming LA28 Games but also served as a convenient piece of promotional synergy for his work, including the highly anticipated upcoming installment, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. The fusion of Olympic pageantry with a cinematic action sequence once again cemented his status as one of the world’s most bankable, and daring, movie stars.
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