Tom Cruise is no stranger to high-risk stunts, having built a reputation for performing jaw-dropping sequences throughout his Mission: Impossible career.
However, even an action star as fearless as Cruise has his limits.
While filming the upcoming eighth installment of the franchise, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the 62-year-old actor faced one of his toughest challenges yet.
Cruise Battles Oxygen Deprivation in Dangerous Aerial Stunt
In a recent interview with Empire, Cruise revealed that one particular stunt in The Final Reckoning pushed him to the brink.
In the scene, his character, Ethan Hunt, is seen clinging onto a 1930s-era biplane while soaring through the air at staggering speeds.
But the real challenge wasn’t just holding on—it was breathing.
“When you stick your face out, going over 120 to 130 miles an hour, you’re not getting oxygen,” Cruise explained. “So I had to train myself how to breathe.”
The extreme conditions led to moments where Cruise physically passed out due to a lack of oxygen. “There were times I would pass out physically; I was unable to get back into the cockpit,” he admitted. Despite the risks, Cruise remained committed to executing the stunt himself, further proving his dedication to making each film more intense than the last.
Christopher McQuarrie Promises Mind-Blowing Stunts
Director Christopher McQuarrie, who has helmed the past three Mission: Impossible films, emphasized just how ambitious this installment is. Speaking about Cruise’s stunts, he assured fans that the action in The Final Reckoning would be unlike anything seen before.
“There are stunts in this movie that will melt your brain,” McQuarrie told Empire. “There would be a day in Africa—any day in Africa—where Tom would go out and do something that topped anything he had ever done before.”
McQuarrie even admitted that some scenes made him physically uneasy. “I truly want to puke thinking about the stress. It was intense,” he said, highlighting the immense pressure of capturing these dangerous moments on screen.
First Full Trailer Premieres During Super Bowl 2025
Excitement for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is building, and the anticipation reached new heights when the first full trailer debuted during the 2025 Super Bowl. As fans watched the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs, they were also treated to action-packed footage of Cruise performing his latest death-defying feats.
The Mission: Impossible franchise has continuously raised the bar for action films, with Cruise personally ensuring that each installment is more exhilarating than the last. In Dead Reckoning – Part One, he famously drove a motorcycle off a cliff before free-falling with a parachute. Now, with The Final Reckoning, he’s taking things to even greater extremes.
Cruise’s Daring Olympic Appearance
Outside of Mission: Impossible, Cruise has also been making headlines for his real-life stunt work. In 2024, he participated in the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, delivering a performance that blended Hollywood spectacle with athletic excellence.
During the ceremony, Cruise descended from the top of a stadium before officially passing the Olympic torch to Los Angeles, which is set to host the 2028 Summer Games. If that wasn’t enough, he later appeared in a prerecorded video in which he piloted a jet—before parachuting out and landing on the iconic Hollywood sign.
Is The Final Reckoning Cruise’s Last Mission: Impossible Film?
While The Final Reckoning promises to be a landmark entry in the franchise, questions remain about whether it will be Cruise’s final outing as Ethan Hunt. Rumors have circulated that the actor is considering passing the torch to a younger version of his character, with the franchise potentially shifting its focus in future installments.
Reports suggest that the upcoming eighth and ninth Mission: Impossible movies may explore Ethan Hunt’s early years, introducing a fresh face to the franchise. According to The Sun, Cruise and his team are actively searching for an actor to take on a younger version of Hunt, who could appear in small moments in The Final Reckoning before playing a bigger role in a potential ninth film.
However, Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick co-star, Glen Powell, has denied speculation that he’s in the running to replace him. With Cruise still at the peak of his action career, fans will have to wait and see what the future holds for Mission: Impossible.
A Legacy of High-Stakes Action
Since first stepping into the role of Ethan Hunt in 1996, Tom Cruise has turned Mission: Impossible into one of Hollywood’s most enduring and adrenaline-fueled franchises. As both star and producer, he has played a key role in shaping the series into what it is today.
With The Final Reckoning, Cruise once again proves his dedication to delivering edge-of-your-seat entertainment. Whether this marks the end of his time as Ethan Hunt or simply another thrilling chapter, one thing is certain—Tom Cruise remains unmatched when it comes to pushing the boundaries of action cinema.
