Tom Cruise has been felicitated with the US Navy’s top civilian honour, but that’s not why he’s getting the internet’s attention.

Tom Cruise has been felicitated with the US Navy’s top civilian honour, the Distinguished Public Service Award. Pictures of Tom, dressed in a black suit, posing with the medal, surfaced on social media. The action star then began to grab eyeballs for completely different reasons. (Also Read: World’s highest-paid actor earned $156 million for one project, several times more than Tom Cruise, Shah Rukh, Brad Pitt)

Tom Cruise’s new pictures

On Monday, at a ceremony in London, Cruise was awarded the Navy’s top civilian honour for his “outstanding contributions to the Navy and the Marine Corps” through his work in Top Gun, Born on the Fourth of July, A Few Good Men, and the Mission: Impossible franchise. The ceremony took place in London, as Cruise is currently working in the U.K.

In a statement, the Navy said Cruise has “increased public awareness and appreciation for our highly trained personnel and the sacrifices they make while in uniform.” When pictures of Tom posing with the medal surfaced on social media, the internet congratulated him for his deserved honour. But many X users also pointed out how if the latest pictures are anything to go by, Tom Cruise has finally started to look old.

Internet says Cruise is ageing

An X user commented on Tom’s pictures, “Bro finally aged. Congrats, Tom.” “Wow Tom cruises finally looks old,” wrote another. “Tom’s getting old (crying emoji),” read a third comment, while a fourth one stated, “I think this is the first time that we’ve seen Tom Cruise finally aging. Congrats!!” “Breaking: Tom Cruise looks horrible,” said a person.

Many even failed to recognise Tom Cruise. An X user commented, “He’s almost not recognizable?” Another wrote, “That’s not Tom Cruise.” “He looks scary af in this photo,” read a third comment, while a fourth one stated, “Either Tom is getting old or (more likely) he’s been taking a steroid for infection. The puffy cheeks are a sure sign of steroid.” “Sucks seeing Tom get old bro. Guy didn’t age for 50 years straight now it’s taking a turn,” said a person. Some even pointed out that Tom now looks like Jason Bateman.

On the acting front, Tom Cruise can next be seen in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, which is set to release in May 2025. He will also star in his upcoming supernatural thriller Deeper, which is currently in early development. Deeper is set to follow an astronaut who encounters a terrifying force during a deep dive into an unexplored trench in the ocean.