Tom Cruise Goes A Cappella with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots—Mission: Impossible Theme Like You’ve Never Heard Before
OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Who needs a full orchestra when you’ve got Tom Cruise beating the beat with a playful “Buh da da, buh da da?” In May, the Mission: Impossible star appeared on The Tonight Show and joined Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, and his Final Reckoning co-stars for a fun a cappella rendition of the franchise’s iconic theme song.
Despite the absence of Lalo Schifrin’s legendary orchestral score, their vocal performance captured all the suspense and thrill you’d expect from Ethan Hunt dangling from a high-security vault ceiling. The fun twist? The “Jimmy Fallon” you see singing at the start is actually Tom Cruise in one of the franchise’s famous masks—revealed just 10 seconds into the video. It leaves you wondering: how many times has Fallon been replaced by Cruise in disguise?
The impromptu vocal band also featured Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning stars Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, and Greg Tarzan Davis, adding layers of harmonies and playful energy to the rendition.
Ahead of the film’s May 23 release, Cruise, Atwell, Pegg, and Klementieff appeared on Fallon’s show to share behind-the-scenes tales of jaw-dropping stunts: elaborate fight choreography, professional skydiving lessons, backyard helicopter landing pads, and even upside-down plane scenes. All in a day’s work for Tom Cruise, whose commitment to jaw-dropping action continues to redefine the franchise.
Watch the full a cappella performance above and get a glimpse of the fun and camaraderie that fuels Mission: Impossible’s latest thrilling chapter.
@fallontonight Jimmy, @The Roots, @Tom Cruise and The Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning cast perform an a cappella version of the @Mission Impossible theme! #FallonTonight #TonightShow #TomCruise #HayleyAtwell #PomKlementieff #SimonPegg #GregTarzanDavis #TheRoots #MissionImpossible #JimmyFallon