Tom Cruise responds after viral popcorn-eating video sparks internet theories

Tom Cruise can jump a motorcycle off a cliff. He can dangle from a skyscraper. And he can hang from a departing jet.

But can he eat popcorn in a way that won’t raise eyebrows across the internet?

In a now-viral video posted to X, Cruise was filmed grabbing small fistfuls of popcorn and catapulting pieces into his open mouth during a recent screening of “Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning.”

The video, which was posted by a user named @seifwtf, quickly went viral, generating nearly five million views since it was posted on Monday.

“He looks like he’s miming the process of eating popcorn in an exaggerated manner,” one commenter wrote.

Tom Cruise attends the BFI Chair’s Dinner where he receives the BFI Fellowship at Rosewood London on May 12, 2025 in London, England. (Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

On Wednesday, Cruise appeared for an interview on “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he was further grilled about his popcorn habit. When asked by co-host Darius Butler if he was really eating popcorn in the video, or if he was just “full of s—,” Cruise claimed it was the former.

“Man, I’m eating popcorn,” he said, laughing. “They know, when I’m going to these movies and I’m watching, that I’m eating popcorn.”

“I love going to a movie and getting popcorn,” he added, when pressed further about his penchant for the snack. “For me it’s just like comfort, you know? I love the comfort of a movie theater.”

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Cruise added that he sometimes schedules screenings of several movies in a single weekend, saying he’s “pumped” for the upcoming “F1” movie with Brad Pitt, and the “John Wick” spin-off “Ballerina” with Ana de Armas.

“And I love getting popcorn. Everyone knows. The theater owners, I get there, they’ve got the popcorn ready for me,” he added.

Cruise’s popcorn-munching method may have even converted a few of the viral video’s viewers. One said she thought it was “adorable,” while others claimed they already eat M&Ms or peanuts the same way.

“Honestly if a guy who is as much into popcorn as him is doing it that way there