Hunt’s hurting.
Tom Cruise is known for doing his own stunts — but even he can reach his breaking point while filming the “Mission: Impossible” film franchise.
In the eighth installment, Cruise had a difficult time when his character, Ethan Hunt, had to hold onto a 1930s biplane in one scene.
“When you stick your face out, going over 120 to 130 miles an hour, you’re not getting oxygen,” he told Empire in a recent interview.
“So I had to train myself how to breathe,” Cruise, 62, added. “There were times I would pass out physically; I was unable to get back into the cockpit.”
“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” is the eighth movie in the action series, and it debuted its first full trailer on Sunday night during the 2025 Super Bowl as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs.
Christopher McQuarrie, who wrote and directed the film along with the previous three movies in the franchise, told the outlet, “There are stunts in this movie that will melt your brain. 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.”
For another scene in the film, the director said, “I truly want to puke thinking about the stress. It was intense.”
Cruise has become famous for his stunts in the franchise, such as jumping a motorcycle off a cliff for “Dead Reckoning.” He also participated in the closing ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. During the proceedings, Cruise descended from the top of the French stadium to officially pass the Olympic torch on to Los Angeles. That city will host the next Summer Olympics in 2028.
In a prerecorded video, Cruise then boarded a jet — which he parachuted out of onto the famous Hollywood sign in California.
It hasn’t been officially announced if “Final Reckoning” will be the last movie in the franchise, but there have been rumors that Cruise is searching for an actor to play a younger version of his “Mission: Impossible” character for the next two installments.
The “Top Gun” star has played Ethan Hunt in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise since the first movie came out in 1996. He’s also a producer of the films.
It’s been rumored that the eighth film will be Cruise’s last. His “Top Gun: Maverick” co-star, Glen Powell, 36, has denied the rumors that he’ll replace Cruise.
According to the Sun, the eighth and ninth movies will take a look back at Ethan’s early life.
“Tom is keen to give Mission: Impossible a fresh take in the next two films and wants to explore a bit of Ethan’s past. They’re going to start looking for a young star to take on the role and they will appear a bit in the next film and then more in the ninth,” a source told the outlet.
However, a ninth film has not been officially announced.
“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” hits theaters May 23, 2025.
