Tom Cruise has become a bit of a TikTok star in recent days, but the catch is that it’s not really him. An account called @deeptomcruise has been posting deepfake videos ofTom Cruisedoing things like testing his golf skills and performing magic tricks with coins for the camera. If you didn’t know going in that these videos were deepfakes, you just might be fooled as the videos are incredibly convincing by perfectly encapsulating Cruise’s looks and personality - right down to the maniacal laugh.
The videos are amusing, but they also showcase just how far along deepfake technology has come in the span of a few short years. Potentially, this tech could be used for malevolent purposes, which has some people concerned. As photographer Lauren White writes on one of the videos on TikTok: “Deep fakes are getting scary good and taking overTikTok. Every public figure should just be on there with a verified account - even if they don’t want to make content - to make it easier to identify their fakes.”
We’ve seen a variety ofdeepfakeparody videos popping up on YouTube in recent years. Sometimes, these videos can be used to give viewers a look at how certain movies might have looked with other actors in the lead roles. One particularly popular example recastBack to the Futurewith Tom Holland and Robert Downey Jr. playing the roles of Marty and Doc, and the concept actually managed to hook a lot of Marvel fans. Another video recast Jack Nicholson with Jim Carrey inThe Shiningto showcase another alternate casting that oddly somehow worked.
Meanwhile, other deepfake videos head straight into absurdity just to see how crazy they can push the technology. Someone actually tookHome Aloneand digitally insertedSylvester Stallone’s face onto Macaulay Culkin’s body, retitling the classic comedy asHome Stallone. Another deepfake video tookParks and Recreationcharacter Ron Swanson’s face and put it over every other character’s face onFull House- even the baby played by the Olsen Twins.
Martin Scorsese’s 2019 movieThe Irishmandrew some criticism when it was released because of itsde-aging technology. One fan went so far as to use deepfake technology on the computer to do the de-aging process for the movie, and a lot of people felt that it looked much better than what Scorsese had presented. It’s no wonder why now seemed like a good time for aFace/Offsequel to be made face-swapping tech evolving so rapidly these days.
Meanwhile, people who want to see therealTom Cruise can look forward to watching his return to the big screen this year. He’ll be back inMission: Impossible 7when the action sequel is released on Aug 26, 2025, with the movie heading to the streaming service Paramount+ 45 days later. Cruise will again return as Ethan Hunt in an eighthMission: Impossiblemovie to be released in 2022. At this time, the real Tom is not active on TikTok, so fans of the actor on the social media platform will have to settle for deepfake videos for now.
