The first person to tackle the terrorist on the train was a Frenchman. He later turned down the Légion d'honneur and asked to remain anonymous because he feared reprisals from other Islamists living in France.
Producer and director Clint Eastwood enlists the actual Americans who took down the terrorist to play themselves in this movie: Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, and Spencer Stone.
Roughly eight weeks after the Thalys train attack, Spencer Stone was stabbed in the back several times by James Tran, outside a downtown Sacramento night club. Stone suffered wounds to his lungs, liver, and heart, and he had to undergo emergency open heart surgery. In 2017, Tran was found guilty of attempted murder, causing great bodily injury, and the use of a deadly weapon and was sentenced to nine years. Stone was quoted in the Sacramento Bee newspaper, saying, "At the end of the day, I forgive the guy. We all make stupid decisions, some dumber than others. I hope he learns from it."
When Spencer Stone appeared as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003), in September 2015, he was awarded a 2016 Chevy Camaro Convertible for his bravery. That same car is featured in the opening scene of this movie.
The plot tagline says "3 U.S. Airmen", but only Spencer Stone is in the Air Force. Alek Skarlatos is Army National Guard, and Anthony Sadler is a civilian.