Tom Cruise had fans doing a double take at Daytona International Speedway as his appearance sparked speculation over possible enhancements that one said were “not anti-aging.”
Tom Cruise arrived at the Florida speedway on Aug. 29 ahead of NASCAR’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, looking relaxed in a fitted white polo shirt, blue jeans and sunglasses. As he made his way around the track, he waved to fans, exchanged a fist bump and leaned in for a selfie with racegoers.
It was an enthusiastic welcome for an actor whose connection to NASCAR stretches back more than three decades, and this time, Cruise wasn’t simply there to watch the action from the sidelines.
‘Days of Thunder’ sequel
That same day, he confirmed he will return as race car driver Cole Trickle in a sequel to his 1990 film Days of Thunder, bringing him back to the world that provided the backdrop for one of his best-known early roles.
Cruise won’t be returning alone, with 43-year-old Anne Hathaway joining the sequel as a team owner and engineer, while Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper will produce alongside the actor. Jonathan Levine is set to direct from a screenplay by Will Staples.
The return of Cole Trickle has been in the works for some time, with the Hollywood Reporter teasing in November 2024 that Cruise was discussing a possible sequel with Paramount, although its future at the time hinged on “the idea and, ultimately, the scripts.”
‘Not just about racing’
Nearly two years later, those discussions have turned into something much more concrete, making Daytona a fitting place for Cruise to talk about why he wanted to head back into the world of stock-car racing.
Inside the pre-race drivers’ meeting, Cruise was joined by Bruckheimer, Harper and Staples as he addressed a room filled with NASCAR executives, fans, corporate sponsors and military personnel ahead of the Cup Series regular-season finale.
“It’s not just about racing,” Cruise told the room, according to ESPN. “It’s about the community and the people here.
“There’s something very special about racers and the whole community. It’s a culture, and I was very proud to be able to reflect that in the first Days of Thunder, and I am honored to share it with the world.”
Describing NASCAR as a culture, Cruise said he was proud of how the original movie reflected that world and explained that filmmakers want the sequel to capture racing as “a team, as a community,” while still giving audiences its “speed, the excitement and all that danger and stuff.”
Cole Trickle’s return
By the end of the day, there was no longer any question about whether Cole Trickle would race again, with Cruise making the sequel official on social media alongside a promotional image of himself and a very pregnant Hathaway leaning against a green-and-yellow stock car.
“Days of Thunder. Summer 2028,” he wrote.
But as Cruise put the spotlight back on the sports action drama, social media soon turned it directly onto him.
‘Botox is not anti-aging at a certain point’
Outside at Daytona, Cruise had kept his sunglasses on, but inside the drivers’ meeting they came off, giving cameras a closer shot at the actor. As those images spread across social media, it didn’t take long for his appearance to become the focus.
“He’s made of plastic,” slammed one user on Instagram, while a second wrote, “The plastic surgery, filler, and Botox is not anti-aging at a certain point.”
“The plastic surgery scars are visible on his neck,” shared a third.
Another added, “At this point, my mum looks more like Tom Cruise than Tom Cruise looks like Tom Cruise, and she’s dead.”“
Even Cruise’s hairstyle became part of the conversation when images appeared on Instagram, with one user writing, “It’s the hair combed over the scars,” and another asking, “Who’s going to tell him…about his hair style?”
But amid the criticism, others pushed back against the scrutiny, with one writing, “This man, does not age,” while another added, “He’s very aged and that’s okay.”
What do you think about Cruise sharing the screen with Anne Hathaway in the Days of Thunder sequel?
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