Internet is shocked to learn Tom Cruise (62) is as old as Ian McKellen was when he played Gandalf in LOTR: ‘Great genes’

At 62, Tom Cruise is still pushing buttons when it comes to action. But the internet is not convinced in comparing that with an actor like Sir Ian McKellen.

Tom Cruise really has no such competition when it comes to mounting an action spectacle in his movies. The Hollywood star has spent years trying to champion action and thrilled fans all over the world with his Mission Impossible franchise.

Tom Cruise and Ian Mckellen were both 62, when they worked in Mission Impossible and The Fellowship of the Ring respectively.

Now, at 62, he is challenging himself anew with the release of his upcoming release Mission Impossible- The Final Reckoning. A movie page on Instagram has now made a post which shared that at 62, Tom Cruise is older than Sir Ian McKellen when he starred in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Users did not react favourably to this comparison and commented against the unnecessary pitting of two actors. (Also read: Tom Cruise tears up as Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning gets a 5-minute standing ovation at Cannes 2025. Watch)

Tom Cruise or Ian McKellen? Users react

The post caption read, “Tom Cruise is defeating nature! Tom Cruise recently performed his most death defying stunts in ‘Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning’ and it makes it easy to forget he is in his 60s!”

Reacting to the post, a user commented, “What’s the point of this?” A user said, “You're telling me he could just play Gandalf and it would be age accurate?” Another said, “He has been running and exploring his limits for over 40 years. Man's a symbol of dedication and hard work.” “But could Tom play Gandalf like Ian?” asked another. “Great genetics,” said an impressed fan. “He has maintained his fitness. That's so great,” wrote another. "

A second user wrote, “I would still rather see a movie with Sir Ian, or a stage play, comedy etc. his range is far more vast than the other guy.” Another said, “Maybe, but no-one could've played Gandalf better than Ian McKellen.” “Throwing a photo of Ian as Gandalf doesn’t really help him look his youngest,” wrote another.

Sir Ian McKellen played Gandalf three times in the Lord of the Rings franchise. The veteran actor, who is 85 now, recently said that he has no plans of retiring from acting and is open to work in the new Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Meanwhile, Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will hit theatres in India on May 17, ahead of its worldwide release.