Age Gap Between Tom Cruise And Co-Star Hayley Atwell Deemed Almost "Problematic"—"She's Only 41!"

I honestly believe society is addicted to finding issues where there are none. On July 18, Startefacts tweeted their newest article, "Age Gaps Between Tom Cruise and His Female Co-Stars in Mission Impossible Films Verge on Problematic." They chose a photo of the MI actor and his co-star, Hayley Atwell, as the cover.

According to the think piece's author, Mission Impossible has a "trend that's been quietly sneaking up on us" in the franchise – age gap relationships. In the first Mission: Impossible, leading lady Emmanuelle Béart, 33, was paired with Cruise, then 34. Cruise was 38 in the second film, while his co-star Thandie Newton was 27.

Cruise was 43 in the third movie, while his counterpart, Michelle Monaghan, was 30. The fourth movie displays an age gap of 13 years between Cruise, 49, and Paula Patton, 36. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation featured Cruise, then 53, and Rebecca Ferguson, 32 – an age difference of 21 years. The newest MI, Dead Reckoning Part One, stars Cruise at 61 and Haley Atwell at 41.

Startefacts's post – which clearly got ratioed in the quote tweets – has been seen nearly 11 million times, and the internet's reaction is exactly what you'd expect. There was a substantial disagreement about these gaps' perceived "problematic" nature; some people have even started making fun of the concept.

@shoe0nhead jokes, "SHES [Atwell] ONLY 41 YOU SICK F*CK."

@saigonandy1 adds, "41 year olds are literally children."

"he’s 61 years old and she’s literally a 41 year old minor co-worker," tweets @JUNlPER

All jokes aside, adults have the freedom to make their own choices, and it's weird that this seems to be a hot take in today's time. Besides, Atwell and Cruise are playing fictional characters. But in real life, individuals (especially those much older) are considered equals, capable of providing informed consent, and taking responsibility for their decisions.

Still, can age gaps sometimes raise concerns? I think it can – especially when young and inexperienced women are involved with significantly older men. A power imbalance may arise in some of these instances, leaving the younger person vulnerable to manipulation, coercion, or emotional abuse. It's essential for society to remain vigilant of these situations, but we also shouldn't jump to conclusions.

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