"That looked like a malfunction" — Internet wonders what Tom Cruise was pulling on his leg during Olympics closing ceremony stunt

Actor Tom Cruise recently added a Hollywood touch to the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics. He plunged over the top of Stade de France on Sunday, August 11, to symbolize the transition from the Paris Olympic Games to the Los Angeles Games in 2028. The official Olympic flag was waiting for the Top Gun actor when he leaped from the top of the stadium and landed on the stadium field.

Nevertheless, what attracted the attention of the audience was not the stunt itself but something that was attached to the actor’s leg and appeared to be a plastic bag. However, when the actor was trying to pull it, it didn’t open. Hence, it left the audience baffled.

What was in the bag on Tom’s leg during the Olympic stunt? byu/PeteFrom_NZ inMission_Impossible

Now, once the photos and the video of the stunt went public, netizens took to social media platforms like X and Reddit to ask the same question and wonder what the object was. They also put forth many theories about the same.

“The Tom Cruise entrance was spectacular. I did notice that he was trying to pull the rope on his leg, which I imagined would have released an American flag. That looked like a malfunction. He pulled of a great stunt though! Fantastic stuff,” one X user commented.

Netizens react as Cruise' Olympics stunt supposedly "malfunctioned" (Image via X/@Harringtonian)

Others were also curious about the item on Cruise's leg.

“Anyone know what was supposed to happen when Tom Cruise pulled that thing attached to his leg? Flare? Confetti? Baguettes and croissants?” asked one X user.

“I had the exact same question…I was thinking maybe a mini parachute??” stated another user.

“I think it was a brake that he was using to slow his descent,” one X user commented.

“Was that a smoke canister that failed to go off on Tom Cruise's leg? #Olympics2024Paris,” another netizen asked a similar question.

This seemed to have baffled other netizens as well. People also took to Reddit to ask the same.

Netizens react as Cruise' Olympics stunt supposedly "malfunctioned" (Image via Reddit/Xander_Crews_RVA, @Boris41029)

Netizens react as Cruise' Olympics stunt supposedly "malfunctioned" (Image via Reddit/Local_Savings_2021)

---

The Paris Olympics 2024 officially came to an end

Tom Cruise's closing ceremony stunt baffled everyone (Image via Chesnot/Getty Images)

Hollywood icon Tom Cruise closed the Paris 2024 Olympics with a stunt on Sunday night. He descended on a wire from the roof of the Stade de France stadium to officially pass the torch to Los Angeles, which will host the summer Olympics in 2028.

The Mission: Impossible star lowered himself into the stadium as the singer H.E.R. gave a guitar performance.

Later, the actor leaped onto the stage from the stadium’s roof. At the celebration, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo presented the Olympic flag to L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, who welcomed the actor and gave him the flag.

After that, Tom got on a motorcycle and left the stadium. Then he rode through the streets of Paris and got onto a plane close to the Eiffel Tower.

Tom Cruise’s leg malfunction? byu/HubGearHector inolympics

The star was then seen in a pre-recorded video flying the flag to the US and skydiving to the famous Hollywood sign in LA. After landing at the well-known site, Cruise attached the five Olympic rings to it.

Cruise was not the only celebrity to perform at the closing ceremony. Rapper Snoop Dogg invited Dr. Dre to perform his iconic The Next Episode, following Dogg’s performance of Drop It Like It's Hot. In addition, Billie Eilish played her song called Birds of a Feather.

Moreover, the International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, described the Paris Games as "sensational." He said that the players were "simply amazing" and demonstrated "what greatness we humans are capable of" in his closing remarks.

He further said,

“Thank you for making us dream. Thank you for making us believe in a better world for everyone”

Meanwhile, the Olympics closing ceremony featured several stars, out of which Tom Cruise's stunt of symbolically handing over the the baton to Los Angeles went viral, with many wondering what the item on his leg was.

---

On the other hand, the LA Olympics 2028 is scheduled from Friday, 14 July 2028 to Sunday, 30 July, 2028.