Fans LOL as Tom Cruise and Will Smith casually chill on top of the Burj Khalifa

Photos of the legendary duo (Tom Cruise and Will Smith), perched atop the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, have recently gone viral, prompting a mix of awe, confusion, and a collective “there’s no way that’s real.” The images, which show Cruise sitting barefoot and casually cross-legged while Smith is strapped in like he’s prepping for a moon landing, resurfaced online with @PicturesFoIder's tweet:

"Tom Cruise and Will Smith on top of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai,” along with jaw-dropping snaps of both actors.

Cue the internet spiraling into debate: Is this AI sorcery? A publicity stunt? Or just a couple of daredevils who genuinely enjoy hanging out at 828 meters?

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Two of Hollywood’s biggest icons—Tom Cruise and Will Smith—remind us that gravity is merely a suggestion

The internet didn’t stand a chance once those Burj Khalifa pics dropped. Tom Cruise chilling like it’s Sunday brunch and Will Smith looking like he’s about to launch into space? The timeline exploded with panic, praise, and people questioning if reality is even real anymore.

“Tom Cruise barefooted and relaxed. Will Smith strapped in like there’s no tomorrow. 🤣🤣🤣🤣"-@nz_bryan

“AI is incredible. No actor is going to do this.” -@floridanow1

“Tom Cruise being up there with no harness is insane.” -@JiujitsuOtter

Of course, not everyone was onboard the Cruise-control hype train. Some fans had… thoughts:

“My a*s just thinking bout being up there 😂"-@CookSwish

“Will Smith in a jump suit and knee brace while tom did that in jeans 🤣"-@_OCTOLITE

“Tom Cruise seating there like he is in mission impossible 😅"-@nnzeru20

“my sphincter tightens looking at this shit” -@TheAntiMule1

And with AI images flooding social feeds 24/7, the conspiracies were already brewing:

“the future will say its AI” -@jdryguy

The verdict? Everyone agrees on one thing: whether it’s CGI, chaos, or sheer Cruise energy—those photos are a lot to emotionally process.

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Beyond the meme: Why they were up there in the first place

So yes, these photos are 100% real, and no, they weren’t generated by ChatGPT’s cousin with a Photoshop plug-in.

Tom Cruise first scaled the Burj Khalifa in 2010 while filming Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. And when we say “scaled,” we mean he literally ran and jumped across the side of the building like it was just another Tuesday. Cruise reportedly trained for months and refused to use a stunt double—because... of course, he did.

Will Smith’s turn came over a decade later, in 2021, when he climbed the Burj for an episode of his fitness docuseries, The Best Shape of My Life. At 53, Smith wasn’t chasing bad guys or dodging explosions—he was just trying to get some high-altitude cardio in. Unlike Cruise, Smith was geared up in a full jumpsuit, safety harness, and knee brace, showing the "I value my life" energy many found extremely relatable.

These moments were years apart, but recent resurfaced images show both stars atop the spire, and people are only now putting two and two together. With AI-generated content flooding timelines, many assumed the photos had to be fake. The fact that they aren’t? Wild. It’s a testament to just how desensitized we’ve become to jaw-dropping stunts and how easy it is to dismiss real feats as digital wizardry.

And honestly, who could blame them? Between deepfakes, filters, and FaceTune, a real photo of Tom Cruise lounging on the tip of a skyscraper seems more like a Marvel green-screen moment than reality.

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