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“Tom Cruise Clinging” meme: meaning, origin and common card

The Tom Cruise Clinging meme remixes a scene from Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation where the actor clings to an airplane.

MyMemeCards editorial teamPublished 8 min read
Tom Cruise Clinging meme
The “Tom Cruise Clinging” meme, 2015

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In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “Tom Cruise Clinging” is a common card of the Memes World series 74, number 22100 of the collection, and the 53rd best-known meme of its 300 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.

What does the “Tom Cruise Clinging” meme mean?

This image expresses distress when facing a situation that is completely out of control. It is used to show someone holding onto an illusion, a futile hope, or a past mistake with comedic intensity. It perfectly visualizes denial or survival in chaos, turning heroic action into ridiculous tragedy.

Where does the “Tom Cruise Clinging” meme come from?

The original scene comes from the trailer for Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, released in 2015. The image shows Tom Cruise hanging outside a flying plane. Know Your Meme states the dedicated entry was created on March 28, 2015. However, the exact author of the first edit remains unknown, as does the initial publishing platform. The process involves cutting out the actor and placing him in improbable environments. The hashtag #TomCruiseClinging facilitated the viral spread of these edits. In 2017, BBC humorist Ali Plumb questioned the actor about these creations during an interview.

  1. 2015Release of the film and the trailer containing the aerial scene.
  2. March 28, 2015Creation of the official entry on Know Your Meme documenting the meme.

How to use the “Tom Cruise Clinging” meme

  • Share this image to laugh at your own irreversible past mistakes.
  • Use the edit to criticize someone stubbornly persisting in a lost cause.
  • Post the card to illustrate your refusal to accept an unpleasant reality.

Also searched as

  • #TomCruiseClinging
  • Tom Cruise airplane meme
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The “Tom Cruise Clinging” card in MyMemeCards

Tom Cruise Clinging card
NumberNo. 22100
RarityCommon
CollectionMemes World series 74
Fame64/100 · #53 of 300
Recycle value5 MemeCoins (15 in Shiny)
Rarities of the Memes World series 74: 300 cards
  • Common25083%
  • Rare299.7%
  • Epic217.0%

How to get the “Tom Cruise Clinging” card

Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; Tom Cruise Clinging comes out of the Memes World series 74 as a common card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.

Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 5 MemeCoins.

Open your free pack

5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.

Free · no account needed

Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details

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Frequently asked questions

Tom Cruise Clinging meaning?

This meme represents desperate gripping at an impossible situation. It illustrates denial or struggle against superior forces with humor.

Tom Cruise Clinging origin?

The image comes from the trailer for Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015). Edits began in early 2015 without an identified author.

Who is Ali Plumb Tom Cruise?

Ali Plumb is a BBC humorist who interviewed Tom Cruise in 2017. He showed him the meme photoshops during that exchange.

How do I get the Tom Cruise Clinging meme card?

Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “Tom Cruise Clinging” is a common card of the Memes World series 74. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.

How rare is the Tom Cruise Clinging card?

It is a Common card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.

Sources: Tom Cruise Can't Stop Laughing at His Memes ... · I Can't Get Enough Of That Time Someone Filled Tom ... · Tom Cruise · checked on October 16, 2026.

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