Tom Cruise Made the Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning Director Go Out on the Wing of a Plane to Prove a Point About an Impossible Stunt

Legendary actor Tom Cruise has truly pushed the boundaries of what's possible in the Mission: Impossible series, especially with the eighth installment, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. In this latest film, Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie have taken the challenge to new heights, with McQuarrie proposing stunts that even Cruise deemed impossible.

During a recent press conference in Tokyo, Cruise shared insights into the development of the film's action sequences. "And then we talked about story and [McQuarrie] was like, 'Okay, I want you to go from here to here in a couple of seconds,'" Cruise recalled. "I was like, 'I can't do that.' He's like, 'Okay, well, I want you to do this and this.' I was like, 'I really can't do that.'"

McQuarrie chimed in about the particular stunt that challenged Cruise, saying, "It was the simplest thing. Anything you'd describe, [he'd] say, 'No, you actually can't do that.' And I don't hear 'can't' from him."

Cruise, known for his daring stunts throughout the Mission: Impossible series, drew on his extensive experience to explain the physical limitations he faced. "I said, 'Just in terms of the speed, because the force of the air, for me to move quickly on the wing was… You just can't do it,'" he stated, emphasizing how a "20-minute tutorial" helped McQuarrie grasp the challenge. "You're limited by the physics of how fast the aircraft is traveling and the force of the wind, that was utterly brutal. So I just said, 'Listen, I think the best thing is if you just do it. Go out, sit in the airplane, go out on the wing, and feel it. Feel the pressure. So, here I am, training him.'"

To his surprise, McQuarrie enjoyed the experience immensely. "It was great, actually," he remarked. "Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I would definitely do it again." Cruise also noted that his preparation for the stunt had been ongoing for years, emphasizing that selecting the right aircraft was crucial to executing the scene successfully.

Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is set to make its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, scheduled from May 13 to May 24, 2025. Following its debut, the film will hit theaters worldwide on May 23, 2025, promising audiences yet another thrilling adventure with Tom Cruise.