A recent photograph featuring Tom Cruise, star of the film Mission: Impossible, and Australian reporter Richard Wilkins has caused a stir on social media — and not because of the film they were promoting…
Behind-the-scenes photo
Many of us are counting down the days until Mission: Impossible – Fallout hits theatres. The film had its world premiere in Tokyo in May, and it will be released in American theatres on 23 May.
If the behind-the-scenes photos leaked online are to be believed, fans are in for a wild ride: check out the crazy photo below, reportedly taken on set.
Early reviews have also been mostly positive, so it’s shaping up to be a big year for 62-year-old Tom Cruise.
But could something derail the hype train?
Well… maybe. A photo taken during a press event in London has fans buzzing, but not for the reason you might expect. The photo shows Cruise posing next to 70-year-old Wilkins after an interview, and at first glance, it looks like a standard celebrity photo shoot. But fans were quick to notice one unexpected detail: the noticeable difference in height.
MacKinnon realizing his Crosby time is getting stolen by Fleury pic.twitter.com/ELNAwYxyPQ
— Nick (@NickZararis) May 5, 2025
Wilkins and Cruise’s height
Wilkins shared the photo on Instagram with the caption:
‘It’s always great to chat with the incredible @tomcruise.’ He went on to praise the upcoming film, calling it ‘bigger, faster, higher, deeper.’ Wilkins also praised Cruise’s legendary work ethic, adding, ‘He constantly raises the bar… and then jumps over it.’
But fans didn’t pay attention to the rave reviews — they were too distracted by the dramatic visual contrast between the two men. Wilkins, who stands at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 metres), appears to be dwarfed by Cruise, who is widely reported to be around 5 feet 6 inches (1.7 metres) tall.
Some fans noted that Wilkins was slightly closer to the camera, but others couldn’t resist.
‘Tom looks like he just popped out of a Kinder Surprise egg,’ one person joked.
Another commented, ‘I know he’s not the tallest, but this photo doesn’t look quite right — as if it’s been skewed or something.’
A third added, ‘Cruise won’t like it at all if this photo gets out.’
They played on his fears
Once people had moved on from the photo drama, the conversation turned to Cruise’s trademark — and often insane — stunt work. Wilkins asked him about the very first stunt he ever performed. Cruise didn’t recall the iconic sock slide from Risky Business, but looked even further back into the past.
‘I think it started when I was about three years old,’ Cruz said, smiling. ‘I used to climb out of windows at night and onto the roof to look at the stars. It’s just always been a part of me.’
When Wilkins asked him if fear crept in during risky action scenes, Cruise was candid but fearless.
‘It’s not that I don’t feel fear,’ he explained. ‘I just don’t let it stop me. I don’t mind fear — it spurs me on.’
As for the film itself? Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning has an incredible budget of $400 million and, as mentioned, has already earned critical acclaim.
‘An absolute adrenaline rush,’ wrote Anthony Gallardi. ‘Cruise proves once again that he is the king of cinematic spectacle.’
Eric Davis of Fandango called it ‘the wildest and most significant Mission film to date.’
Critic Dave Baldwin also couldn’t resist, calling the film ‘pulsating, breathless and wildly entertaining.’
One thing is clear: whether it’s stunts, red carpet moments or viral photos, Tom Cruise still knows how to steal the spotlight — even when someone else is towering above him.
