His dramatic sky-diving, motorcycle-riding appearance at the star-studded Olympic closing ceremony was undoubtedly impressive for a man in his seventh decade.
Yet it was Tom Cruise’s ‘new face’, rather than his stunts, that sparked comment — some of it quite brutal — on social media.
The Hollywood legend, 62, who claims he performs his own stunts on every shoot, was seen strapped into a harness, as he flung himself off a ledge in front of thousands of fans and Olympians for the grand finale of the summer Olympic closing ceremony.
But viewers of last night’s ceremony noticed the actors face appeared to be ‘puffy’ and ‘bloated’.
Following the stunt one viewer, @DJW09065186 wrote on X: ‘Did Tom Cruise have work done on his face? At 1st glance, he resembled Don Johnson. Asking for a friend.’
Another viewer, @DJW09065186 wrote on X: ‘Did Tom Cruise have work done on his face? At 1st glance, he resembled Don Johnson. Asking for a friend.
@Wh0SaidDat also wrote: ‘What in the narcissism is Tom cruise and his bloated face doing up there? Sir get down before you break a hip.’
And social media user, @DavidBoink, also wrote on X that he had ‘overdone it on the old plastic surgery’.
He wrote: ‘Is it just me or is Tom Cruise looking like his character in Vanilla Sky every time he’s on telly?’
@sloyoroll01973 added: ‘I wondered how long it would take Tom Cruise to resort to extreme plastic surgery. I got my answer.’
However Podcaster Shaun the Producer wrote on X: ‘It almost looks like he’s wearing prosthetics to make him look older (obviously not)… but it looks like the type of puffiness that comes from medications.’
Speaking to MailOnline, consultant plastic surgeon Kshem Yapa said it was possible Tom Cruise had at some point undergone a face lift combined with fat grafting.
‘It can be an effective combination, and it’s an operation I frequently do myself, but you have to take care with the amount of fat you put into the face,’ he said.
‘As we age, two things happen — we develop skin laxity, so the face droops and you see deeper nose-to-mouth lines, jowls and a loose neck.
‘We also lose volume, from around the temples and mid face, which can lead to a more gaunt appearance.
‘A facelift moves the facial tissue back into their more youthful position, while fat — taken from elsewhere in the body, usually the stomach or flanks, and placed into the face using tiny injections — supplements lost volume.
‘But those fat grafts will still behave like stomach fat, even in the face.
‘So we warn patients if they put on weight, they’ll put it on in their face quite visibly. You also have to be judicious in how much you graft into the face, for this reason.’
Mr Yapa, who is an expert in facelift surgery, agreed there was a ‘characteristic look’ to over-done fat transfer to the face.
‘It’s a puffy, mask-like appearance where the mid-face doesn’t move.’
Other cosmetic surgeons have dubbed the effect a ‘Howdy Doody face’ — referring to an American wooden puppet show character that was the star of a 1960s television show.
The puppet had exaggerated facial features, and was once described as the ‘ugliest puppet imaginable’.
In October 2021, Cruise was photographed with curiously bloated ‘chipmunk cheeks’ at a San Francisco Giants baseball game with son Connor.
Less than a year later, on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022, he appeared back to his youthful self.
Now, his face seems to have ballooned again.
Mr Yapa added this ‘dramatic’ fluctuation may have been because ‘Cruise had a bit too much fat put in.
‘We don’t recommend fat grafting is used alone as a filler, without a face lift as you’d have to add so much to achieve an effect there would be a danger patients would be left looking worse.
‘The other thing it’s important patients realise is that fat grafts are relatively difficult to undo — other kinds of filler naturally dissolve to some extent over time, but fat is permanent. You’d need another operation to remove it.’
Medication such as steroids, used to dampen inflammatory diseases, can also cause a build up of fluid and may lead to swelling in your arms, hands, ankles, legs, face and other parts of the body.
The medicine can be used to treat a range of conditions, such as allergies, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and arthritis, according to the NHS.
Surgeons have also suggested the actor may have had Botox and other non-invasive treatments, such as micro needling, to achieve a youthful look — which may have caused facial swelling.
Facial surgery, such as a facelift or rhinoplasty, usually causes swelling that can take several weeks to heal.
Mild facial swelling can also be caused by Botox, which is a brand name for botulinum toxin, a cosmetic injection used to relax the muscles in the face to smooth out lines and wrinkles.
This is also the case with fillers, but like Botox this usually subsides hours after treatment.
Plastic surgeon Dr Fadi Hamadani told MailOnline: ‘Tom Cruise has managed to maintain a remarkably youthful appearance, which many credit to his active lifestyle and commitment to fitness.
‘While we can’t say for certain if he’s undergone any cosmetic procedures, it’s possible he’s chosen non-invasive treatments to keep his refreshed look.
‘Celebrities often turn to options like fillers or Botox to reduce wrinkles and restore facial volume.
‘Additionally, advanced procedures like Morpheus8, which blends micro needling with radiofrequency energy, and FaceTite, a minimally invasive contouring treatment, can also help achieve a more youthful, tightened appearance.
‘These treatments are popular for those aiming to subtly enhance their features while maintaining a natural look.’
Speculation that the actor has had facial surgery comes after snaps of the actor on holiday in Majorca in May showed he had ‘sagging’ skin on his torso.
Fans were quick to react to the pictures of the father of-three on a Spanish beach noting that his torso, while defined, looked as thought it was ‘sagging’.
Some suggested the loose skin indicated that the star has undergone cosmetic surgery like peck implants or even liposuction.
The star also raised eyebrows in October 2021 when he attended a baseball game in San Francisco with a noticeably puffier face.
It was suggested he may have had fillers, but it wasn’t long before Tom was back to his old self as he walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022 with a slimmed down appearance.